Local Founding

The first pledge class, 1983.

The Zeta Upsilon chapter of Alpha Chi Omega was founded on September 24, 1983. Three freshmen, Michelle Avolio, Laura Fox, and Sandy Klukowski researched many national sororities before settling on Alpha Chi. Mount Union helped with our first 14 pledges, and Laura Fox was elected president. During the first years on campus, we occupied a floor of Norton before moving to Murray Hill House in fall of 1992, which we shared with the Delta Kappa Epsilon. In 1993 we finally received our own house on Bellflower. Now, there are 6 national sororities on campus (Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Phi, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Phi Mu, and Phi Sigma Rho), 1 local (Sigma Psi) as well as Omega Tau Zeta and Sigma Gamma Rho.

It's not so often that one finds a friend
A comrade of dreams so close, to the end.
A believer of hope and seeker of wealth
Of not jewels or gold, but of one's true self.
So grasp the strong hand of a love so real
And cry in her arms so the wounds can heal.
I call her a sister adopted through love
And keep in my heart our pledge heard alone.
~Laura Fox, First President of Zeta Upsilon Chapter

Picture Reference: MTM