Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi
ΣΑΕΠ
The official crest of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi
FoundedOctober 1, 1998 (1998-10-01)
University of California, Davis
TypeSocial
Affiliationindependent
EmphasisJewish
MottoSpirit, Strength, Sisterhood
Colors  Blue and   Gold
SymbolPaw
FlowerBlue Iris
JewelSapphire
MascotLioness
PublicationThe Iris Petal
PhilanthropyAmerican Jewish World Service
Chapters11 active
Members750+ collegiate
WebsiteOfficial website

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi (ΣΑΕΠ) is a national Jewish sorority. It was founded on October 1, 1998, at the University of California, Davis.

History

In the early 1990s with the closing of a national Jewish sorority on its campus, the University of California, Davis was left without a Jewish women's social organization. Several women on campus noticed the gap left by the absence of the former sorority and began strategizing how to start an organization on campus that would fill the need. Members of Alpha Epsilon Pi, a national Jewish fraternity, also urged the women of Davis to start a Jewish women's social organization of their own. With positive response from the campus Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi was formed.[1]

The "Sigma" is meant to represent "sisters of" in honor of Alpha Epsilon Pi's contributions towards the formation of the sorority. Sigma is also the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet; in Jewish tradition, the number eighteen means chai (life). The six women who founded the sorority—Alycia Seaman, Erin Glick, Leah Dansker, Rachel Rothfarb, Erin Barker, and Dana Miller—are considered the eternal mothers of the sorority.[2]

Despite its formative Jewish identity the sorority allows no discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or handicap.[3] SAEPi's publication is called The Iris Petal, with a quarterly publication schedule.

The first season of MTV’s Sorority Life was filmed in the spring of 2002 on the UC Davis campus featuring members and pledges of ΣΑΕΠ. Through the airing of the show, ΣΑΕΠ began to expand across the country.[4]

Symbols

The sorority's mascot is the lioness, representing "strength, power and force." The sorority's flower is the blue iris. From the Iris, its colors are blue and gold, explained as. "Blue is prominent in Judaism, and gold symbolizes the richness ΣΑΕΠ brings to its members." Additionally, these colors are used to identify the University of California, where the sorority was founded. The sorority's gemstone is the sapphire.[5]

National Board

A national board was started in the summer of 2002 to oversee the expansion and growth of ΣΑΕΠ as a nationwide sorority. Currently, there are seven alumnae from different chapters voluntarily serving as the directors on the National Board. In early 2017, the National Board voted to restructure in order to consolidate operational functions into the Executive Office, maintaining the National Board for governance, strategic planning, and oversight.

2021-2022 National Board members are:

  • Past President: Dawn Savage (Mu)
  • President: Rachel Allen (Mu)
  • President-Elect: Alexandra Morris (Tau)
  • Secretary: Hannah Kaufman (Mu)
  • Treasurer: Deborah Joseph Friedman (Eta)
  • Regional Governor - West: Melissa Oxenhandler (Upsilon)
  • Regional Governor - East: Shaina Fischer (Xi)

National Philanthropy

At the 2008 national convention, Cancer Schmancer was selected as the sorority's national philanthropy. In 2011, the National Board re-evaluated the national philanthropy and decided to move on to an organization that encompasses all of the philosophies of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi. American Jewish World Service was chosen. In addition to the national philanthropy, some chapters also support local philanthropies.

Chapter list

Chapters of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi follow.[1] Active chapters are listed in bold and inactive chapters are listed in italic.

Name Chartered/Range Institution Location Status Reference
Charter 1998 University of California, Davis Davis, California Active
Alpha 2003–2005 Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona Inactive
Beta 2003–2008, 2018 University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota Active [6]
Gamma 2003–2006 University of California, Riverside Riverside, California Inactive
Delta 2005–2022 University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, California Inactive
Epsilon 2005–2005 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon Inactive
Zeta 2005–2011 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, Virginia Inactive
Eta 2008–2020 University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Inactive
Theta 2008–2011 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, Michigan Inactive
Iota 2009–2014 University of Maryland, Baltimore County Baltimore, Maryland Inactive
Kappa 2009–2020 University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio Inactive
Lambda 2010–2017 University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri Inactive [7]
Mu 2010–2020 James Madison University Harrisonburg, Virginia Inactive
Nu 2011–2019 University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, California Inactive
Xi 2013 Binghamton University Binghamton, New York Active
Omicron 2014 California State University, Northridge Northridge, California Active
Pi 2015 University of Nevada, Reno Reno, Nevada Active
Rho 2017–2019 Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Jersey Inactive
Sigma 2018–2021 Queens College Queens, New York Inactive
Tau 2017 Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado Active
Upsilon 2018 University of Colorado, Boulder Boulder, Colorado Active
Phi 2018–2019 California State University, Fullerton Fullerton, California Inactive
Chi 2018–2019 Hunter College, City University of New York New York City, New York Inactive
Psi 2018–2019 Wilfrid Laurier University Waterloo, Ontario Inactive
Omega 2018–2022 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, Florida Inactive
Sigma Alpha 2018–2021 State University of New York, New Paltz New Paltz, New York Inactive
Sigma Beta 2018–2019 Ryerson University Toronto, Ontario Inactive
Sigma Gamma 2018–2019 University of Nevada, Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada Inactive
Sigma Delta 2018–2020 Florida International University South Miami, Florida Inactive
Sigma Epsilon 2018 University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Active
Sigma Zeta 2018 Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts Active
Sigma Eta 2019 Stockton University Galloway, New Jersey Inactive
Sigma Theta 2019–2020 University of Hartford West Hartford, Connecticut Active
Sigma Iota 2019–2020 Baruch College New York, New York Inactive
Sigma Kappa 2019–2021 Towson University Towson, Maryland Inactive
Sigma Lambda 2019 George Washington University Washington, D.C. Active
Sigma Mu 2022 University at Albany Albany, New York Active

See also

References

  1. 1 2 William Raimond Baird; Carroll Lurding (eds.). "Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities (Baird's Manual Online Archive)". Student Life and Culture Archives. University of Illinois: University of Illinois Archives. Retrieved 5 Jul 2021. The main archive URL is The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage.
  2. ↑ "ΣΑΕΠ Sorority – Four Letters, For Life". Retrieved 2023-01-15.
  3. ↑ "About Us". Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi National Website. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
  4. ↑ MTV's Sororoty Life, season 1, accessed 1 Jul 2020.
  5. ↑ "ΣΑΕΠ Quick Facts – ΣΑΕΠ Sorority". Retrieved 2023-01-15.
  6. ↑ MN Daily article on SAEPi, accessed 1 Jul 2020.
  7. ↑ The Maneater newspaper, noting emergence of SAEPi on the Missouri campus, accessed 1 Jul 2020.
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