UNIVERSITY NEWS - NOVEMBER 2003

MEDIA CONTACT: Daphnee St.Val

561-297-3269, stval@fau.edu
Kristine M. McGrath
561-297-1168, kmcgrath@fau.edu

FAU Sorority Celebrates 90 Years of Excellence

BOCA RATON, FL (November 25, 2003) – Although Florida Atlantic University’s Greek life has only recently begun, on November 26, Phi Sigma Sigma Sorority will be celebrating its 90th anniversary. The sorority, whose international headquarters is located in Boca Raton, was founded in 1913 by ten women at Hunter’s College in New York City. It was the first nonsectarian sorority and the only one at that time who was open to diverse membership. The sorority’s founders sought to establish the twin ideals, “The brotherhood of man and the alleviation of the world’s pain.”

Important milestones were established with the evolution of the Phi Sigma Sigma Sorority. In 1930, the sorority became an international sorority with the founding of the Upsilon Chapter at the University of Manitoba in Canada. In 1969, in an effort to provide greater focus on the philanthropic activities of Phi Sigma Sigma, the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation was created.

In more recent years, FAU established the Zeta Mu chapter of the Phi Sigma Sigma Sorority. Although relatively new, FAU’s Zeta Mu has already received national recognition with the National Make a Difference Day Award, presented to the sorority in recognition of their commitment to volunteer service and community involvement.

In keeping with the sorority’s commitment to service, Zeta Mu has sponsored and participated in programs such as, “Paint Your Heart Out,” in which the sorority spent the day at the home of Ms. Paula Gantz, a 90 year old lady, and painted all 527 square feet of her house. Other activities have included creating greeting cards to be sent to hospitals; a peanut butter and jelly sandwich make-a-thon for the homeless and rock-a-thons and dance marathons to donate to the National Kidney Foundation and Children’s Miracle Network.

Although community service is an important aspect of this sorority, when Zeta Mu isn’t busy doing community service, they are maintaining the highest sorority GPA and winning national accolades for scholarship from their national office.

For more information on Phi Sigma Sigma Sorority, call Daphnee St.Val at

561-297-3269.
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