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The Panhellenic Council at the University of Maine held the first All Sorority Gala — a celebration of female Greek Life — in the Wells Conference Center on Thursday.
Seven sororities came together, with members totaling approximately 200 women, to relax and treat themselves to a formal dinner for the hard work they do to give back to their community, according to Vice President of the Panhellenic Council Chiara Amendola.
“In February, we hosted the Polar Bear Dip, which benefits the Penobscot Nation Boys and Girls Club. This past year, we raised just over $2,000 for the cause. In April, we annually host a blood drive on campus, and this past year incorporated an additional bone marrow drive, in which we got 326 people signed up for the bone marrow registry. In October, we raise canned goods for local food pantries. In fact, we just raised over 1,000 nonperishable food items for the Black Bear Exchange,” Amendola said.
The gala cost about $2,000, which the sororities accumulated through fundraising, according to Amendola.
Rebecca Davison, president of the Panhellenic Council, told the group about the importance of sororities on college campuses. She said on Dec. 24, 1902, seven sororities created the first Panhellenic Conference in Chicago, which resulted in the first inter-fraternity associations and the first inter-group organizations on college campuses.
“The most important thing we can learn is that we have the ability to affect all the sides of campus community when we pull our talents together,” Amendola said. “Think of how much good we can do for the world if we all, as women, came together to support each chapter’s charitable causes. Now more than ever, we can make a significant, positive impact not only on the University of Maine campus, but in the surrounding communities.”
Dean of Students Robert Dana spoke at the gala to show his support for the sororities.
“Not worrying about your backyard, but worrying about the global community — that’s what will save this society, and that, my friends, that is exactly what distinguishes you from so, so many students,” Dana said.
Davison hopes to diminish sorority stereotypes.
“We’re all aware of the stereotypes that face sororities. The media portrays girls in sororities as females that drink too much, party too hard, get bad grades and are superficial. I don’t know about anyone else, but I know that here, it’s completely different. Here, each chapter has a GPA requirement for its members. Here, the all-sorority GPA is consistently higher than the all-women and all-student GPA,” Davison said. “We’re obviously doing something right.”
Davison and Amendola hope to make the gala an annual event, and new Delta Zeta member Hannah Palmer hopes it will continue.
“I think it’s a really good experience because we get to know all the other different girls in the sororities. Going through new-member period, we only really hung out with our [own] sorority. So it’s a chance to branch out and meet others,” Palmer said. “I would definitely come back again next year if they have it, and hopefully they will. Hopefully as the years keep going, we will get to know more and more girls outside of our own chapters.”
Before ending his address, Dana gave one last statement to motivate the women: “I know many of you, and I consider many of you my friends, and I know you do it from your hearts. It’s not for show. It’s not to look good on your resume. It’s because you’re good people, and with good people the society will thrive.”
Bangor Daily News