It’s Greek to me

If you’re an Eastern student on Instagram, there’s a chance you may have seen a pastel or pink-themed post from @saobetaiota, the page for the Eastern chapter of the Sigma Alpha Omega sorority. The group, which is not officially recognized by Eastern, was started in the fall of 2019 by nine girls looking to form a community of sisters. The group managed to survive through the trials of the pandemic, and today it proudly boasts 16 members in various stages of admission.

“I got involved last year, as I was looking to grow my faith on a deeper level but also wanted to have a connection with a group of girls who have God at the center of their events,” SAO President Morgan Owens said. “I got here today as I wanted to make a change for SAO and work towards making it a known sorority on campus.”

“This is my third year within the sisterhood; I joined during my first semester here at Eastern,” SAO Judicial Board Chairwoman and Vice President Anika Budlow said. “My favorite part about being in a Christian Sorority such as SAO is that I get to talk about my love of Christ with like-minded young women who also share the same values that I have.”

The group hosts Bible studies twice a month alongside their weekly chapter meetings. The girls also host fun events such as outdoor game days, pumpkin patch visits and lunch visits, among other events.

“SAO volunteers for a few different events, including the Special Olympics that take place at Villanova or Night to Shine,” Owens said. “We also do different service projects which include cleaning up around or by campus and donating products needed for different food pantries or local women’s shelters.”

“Our sisterhood is a space for girls involved within our chapter to come together to celebrate the love that we have for Christ while also serving our community in a variety of ways,” Budlow said. “I think that SAO is a beneficial way for us to share not only the love of God with students at Eastern but also to bring awareness of our philanthropy, which is ovarian cancer awareness.”

This year has been a big year of growth for the sorority, with nine new members joining the ranks. However, that growth has been difficult for an unrecognized group on campus, as they do not receive any funding from Eastern and cannot fundraise or advertise on campus.

“Unfortunately, since we are not Eastern-affiliated, we are not able to advertise SAO at different club events. We do our own fundraisers such as Double Good popcorn and Chipotle fundraisers,” Owens said.

“My short-term goals for SAO include growing the sorority and successfully initiating the new candidates,” she continued. “My long-term goals for SAO is to be approved and considered a sorority on campus to bring back Greek Life on campus!”

“One of the short-term goals is to continue to grow and bring in new sisters who want to grow in faith each semester,” Budlow said. “The biggest long-term goal for our chapter is to build a solid foundation and relationship with God and each other that continues for years after graduation.”

For now, SAO is looking for more support and involvement from other girls on campus looking to be a part of the sisterhood.

“I would encourage [potential members] to join as it is a great way to bond with other women and have God be a main point of what we talk about,” Owens said. “I cannot be grateful enough for my sisters within this sorority; the way we work together is truly something amazing and I would not be here without them all!”

“For anyone who might be interested in joining our sisterhood, there is so much support and love that we have for each other, and we want to create an environment that allows every girl to have a group to help each other grow closer to God,” Budlow said.

If you’re interested in getting involved, the winter/spring recruitment for the chapter begins in January, and you can reach out to the group over Instagram as well for more information.

“Be on the lookout for upcoming announcements on our theme and events that we will be hosting,” Budlow said.