The Worth of Our Sisterhood

Recent news coverage of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter at the University of Oklahoma has revived some unfavorable stereotypes regarding Greek culture and raised pointed questions about the value of the fraternity system on college campuses. As members of the first Greek-letter fraternity for women, we are well aware of the worth of our sisterhood in Kappa Alpha Theta. Yet incidents such as those on the Oklahoma campus offer us an opportunity to examine our attitudes and actions and to recommit ourselves to living the words of our ritual, not simply saying them.

As Thetas, we are proud of our inclusive membership and our non-discriminatory recruitment policies. As Thetas, we are dedicated to social, intellectual, and moral growth, and we hold each other accountable for offensive language and behavior. As Thetas, we must be thoughtful in our conduct and speech, not because there may be a camera nearby but because we espouse the ideals of noble womanhood, which include treating everyone with respect and dignity.

Everything we say and do is not only a reflection of who we are individually but who we are as Thetas. I am deeply honored to serve Kappa Alpha Theta as president, and I very rarely am given reason to be anything but immensely proud of the accomplishments and contributions of each of our college and alumnae members. In this, the 145th year since our founding, let us continue to take every opportunity to lead one another to personal excellence, to model behavior that reflects the principles of our Fraternity.