Page 18 - 1917 May - To Dragma

220 TO DRAG MA OF ALPHA OMICROX PI
own entertaining. This year, the Zeta freshmen entertained a l l the
other freshmen w i t h a tea i n their o w n room. T h i s was the first
time i t had ever been done here, and everyone seemed to enjoy i t
so much.
T h e University of Tennessee supports a settlement house and a l l
the fraternities, both men's and women's as well as the n o n f r a t e r n i t y
men and women unite in keeping it supplied with teachers f o r the
different departments. T h i s is common ground, and friendly feeling
not only among the fraternities, but also among the nonfraternity
people is fostered.
Also, since the possibility of war has become so certain, a Red
Cross Society has been organized i n K n o x v i l l e w i t h special classes f o r
the university. A l l the women's fraternities have entered into the
spirit of this and each week at the meetings, a l l again meet on common
ground. C h i Omega has the largest number of girls i n this class—
nearly a l l o f the fraternity now wearing the Red Cross button.
Besides many of the girls intend taking up the nursing course, and i f
our country needs them, w i l l respond to the call.
D O R O T H Y M . N O L A N , O, '18.
VI A T NEWCOMB
We have a Panhellenic group of eight fraternities at Newcomb.
Each fraternity rents one or more rooms f o r its chapter meeting
place. We have no f r a t e r n i t y houses, because Newcomb is i n a
large city and the number of dormitory girls who are fraternity
members is small. The college has divided the basement of the main
b u i l d i n g into suitable rooms f o r our use. B y means of this arrange-
ment the fraternity girls become thoroughly acquainted, and the spirit
of f r i e n d l y intercourse is fostered and maintained. There are only
two fraternities which have their rooms off the campus, Kappa Alpha
Theta and Alpha Epsilon Phi.
P i Beta P h i was the first f r a t e r n i t y to be established at Newcomb.
I n 1 8 9 1 , a local organization was formed and after a few months
petitioned P i Beta Phi f o r a charter. I n 1 8 9 3 the charter was
granted, and A l p h a Chapter of Pi Beta Phi was established. This
chapter takes a great deal of interest i n the P i Beta Phi Settlement
School i n Tennessee. I n 1 8 9 8 P i Chapter of Alpha Omicron P i was
founded, but as this article has to do w i t h our neighbors, we shall not
tell of ourselves.
The local chapter of Chi Omega was founded i n 1900. This
chapter was a local organization f o r some time under the name of
Sigma Delta. C h i Omega is actively engaged i n social service
TO PRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI 221
work i n N e w Orleans. T h e G r a n d President, M r s . Collins, has been
spending the winter here, engaged i n some social research work.
T h e next f r a t e r n i t y to be established at Newcomb was K a p p a
Kappa Gamma. The group of girls petitioning was not a Greek-
letter local, but was organized f o r the purpose of petitioning K a p p a
Kappa Gamma. The charter was granted after several years of
strenuous work, and Beta Omicron Chapter was established i n 1 9 0 4 .
This was the second southern chapter to be installed. T h e chapter
has had the usual local interests, and its members have worked
individually in settlement work and other social service. I n 1 9 0 6 ,
Delta Chapter b f Phi M u was founded at Newcomb. There were
six charter members. D u r i n g its l i f e Delta Chapter has grown to
forty-two initiates, one affiliate, and six pledges.
U p to this f a l l , P h i M u has not had a room on the campus, but
like K A 0 and A E $ has had to live on one of the nearby streets.
T h i s f a l l , however, the college fixed two other rooms i n the basement,
and Phi M u and Alpha Delta P i moved in w i t h the rest of us.
Alpha Delta Pi was established a few days after Phi M u . The
local chapter Epsilon, was not a Greek-letter local before petitioning
the national organization. I n 1913 Alpha Delta Pi changed its name
f r o m A l p h a Delta Phi. Some time ago one of the A A I I national
officers addressed local Panhellenic and told us something of the
work of the National Panhellenic.
Kappa Alpha Theta was established at Newcomb in May, 1 9 1 4 .
I n 1911 Phi M u Gamma came to Newcomb, and the local chapter,
i n October, 1 9 1 3 , broke away f r o m this organization and became a
local under the name of A l p h a P h i , so as to be able to petition
Kappa Alpha Theta. The charter was granted and the Alpha Phi
Chapter of Kappa A l p h a Theta was established i n 1 9 1 4 . As A l p h a
Phi, the chapter held the scholarship cup offered by Chi Omega, in
1 9 1 2 - 1 3 . As a Theta chapter, the cup was held in 1 9 1 3 - 1 4 and
1915-16, being lost to Pi Beta Phi in 1914-15.
Our youngest neighbor, the Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Phi,
was granted a charter in December, 1 9 1 6 . This fraternity is the only
Jewish organization of its kind at college. I t has been a local
organization since 1 9 0 7 . Immediately upon the granting of its
charter, local Panhellenic extended an invitation to A E $ to
j o i n . This invitation was readily accepted, and we welcomed the
eighth fraternity into our midst.
The feeling of good-fellowship prevails among all of the frater-
nities and while each of us may feel a little hostile toward our rivals
on pledge day, that spirit is soon superseded by a friendlier and