Page 17 - 1917 May - To Dragma

218 TO PRAGMA OF ALPHA 0MIC RON PI
IV A T CORNELL
I n accordance with the ideal of Ezra Cornell, " I would found an
institution where any person can find instruction i n any study,"
Cornell University hecaine coeducational i n 1 8 7 2 — f o u r years after
its f o u n d i n g . T h e girls were regarded as very odd and were l e f t
a great deal to themselves. N a t u r a l l y they sought each other's com-
panionship and such a sisterly feeling sprang up among some of
them that they decided to petition Kappa Alpha Theta for a charter.
T h i s was granted them i n 1 8 8 1 . T h i s sorority proved such a success
that two years later a chapter of K a p p a Kappa Gamma was f o r m e d .
W e know there was a very f r i e n d l y f e e l i n g between these first t w o perhaps Leland Stanford, where the girls have the advantage of
sororities, since the petitioning Kappa Kappa Gammas secured
one of their two recommendations f r o m Mrs. Anna B . Comstock, a
Kappa Alpha Theta. When the Kappa Kappa Gammas were in-
stalled, the Kappa Alpha Thetas gave a party f o r them, and the two
sororities cooperated w i t h each other to bring about a f r i e n d l y
feeling among all the girls.
T w o years later a third sorority was established at Cornell—
D e l t a Gamma. A t first these girls were reserved and were regarded
as "grinds." Gradually, however, they came out o f their shell and
joined the others at work and play. I n 1 8 8 9 a chapter of A l p h a Phi
was founded here. These four sororities held undisputed sway until
nineteen years later in 1908. when a new and progressive little
chapter was formed—Alpha Omicron Pi. This received a hearty
welcome f r o m the other sororities and soon grew to fill its place
among the girls. Later the same year, a group of girls petitioning
Delta Zeta received their charter. The Sennightly Club, organized in
1 8 9 3 , thought that when it was twenty years old i t w o u l d become a
real sorority, and so became a chapter o f D e l t a Delta Delta i n 1 9 0 3 .
These seven are the only national sororities at Cornell, though
there are a few local clubs and groups of petitioning girls.
There is a very f r i e n d l y feeling among a l l the sororities at Cornell
except, perhaps, d u r i n g the rushing season when it is not so apparent.
This feeling is promoted by the interest which a l l the sororities have
in one another, but above a l l , by the interest which they take in the
university as a whole and i n a l l the girls.
When there were only a few sororities at Cornell, they gave teas
f o r one another at least once a year. N o w , however, there are so
many other activities that we learn to know the girls in other
ways than as a sorority group. T h e original spirit has been kept up
to a slight extent f o r , about two years ago, the Delta Delta Deltas
gave a tea f o r us since Mabel de Forest Starkweather, Epsilon, ' 1 2 ,
TO DRAG MA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI 219
came up here to visit her sister-in-law, who was a T r i Delt. I f any
sorority gives a dance or a tea at least one active g i r l , usually a
senior, is invited and o f t e n a few alumna?. Likewise, i f any sorority
g i r l is very sick, or dies, the other sororities send flowers. I f a girl
comes here f r o m some sorority which has no chapter at Cornell, she
is invited to most of the sorority functions.
Prof. Anna Botsford Comstock, the Kappa Alpha Theta, who
signed the Kappa Kappa Gamma petition, in speaking about the
sororities here, said that she had noticed a k i n d l i e r feeling among the
sorority girls at Cornell than at any other college she had visited save
l i v i n g i n sorority houses situated very near one another.
D A G M A R A. S C H M I D T , E , '18.
V AT TENNESSEE
I n 1 9 0 0 , the first woman's f r a t e r n i t y — C h i Omega, made its advent
at the University o f Tennessee. T w o years later, an enthusiastic
group of girls petitioned—and a charter of Alpha Omicron P i was
granted to them. F o r several years they had the field a l l to them-
selves but likewise Zeta T a u A l p h a , attracted by the possibilities at
Tennessee, saw fit to grant a charter. P h i M u was the last one to
come into the Greek w o r l d here.
When fraternities were new at Tennessee, i t was customary f o r
each fraternity in turn to entertain the others, but now our Pan-
hellenic each year gives the opening entertainment of the fraternities
to which a l l the first-year woman students are invited.
Our Panhellenic meetings are usually held with a f u l l attendance
of a l l the fraternities. This is different f r o m the way we had formerly
held Panhellenic w i t h only the delegates at the meeting; but since
we decided that the discussion of these problems w o u l d be beneficial
to us a l l , this change was made. However, now, several times a
year the delegates do meet, and then present these problems and their
solutions to the several fraternities. Just lately we have begun ask-
ing different members of the f a c u l t y to address us at these meetings,
w h i c h we have f o u n d to be very h e l p f u l . Dean Haskins was the first
one to do this, and he emphasized especially the relation between the
university and the fraternities. Miss Carpenter, Dean of Women,
was next and we a l l derived much benefit f r o m her talk.
I t is customary here d u r i n g rushing season, which lasts about two
months, to invite several members of the different fraternities to our
large entertainments. W e have f o u n d this to be very h e l p f u l as
friendly intercourse is encouraged and we also get ideas f o r our