President's Note
Dear Sisters,
Over the past 18 months, I’ve done Zoom calls with over 60 of our collegiate chapters and a dozen of our alumnae groups. I’ve even managed to meet safely with our Delta Pi/Oglethorpe, Gamma Upsilon/Cal State LA, Epsilon Kappa/Trine, and Epsilon Lambda/IU South Bend chapters in person! These meetings have been one of the true bright spots for me during the pandemic. I love hearing about the innovative and creative ways our chapters have navigated sorority life during the pandemic. On every call, I ask each chapter to consider three key questions which weigh heavily on me: How do we keep the sisterhood alive after over two years of a largely virtual membership experience? How do we keep Alpha Sigma Tau’s doors open in the face of declining college enrollment and the rising cost of college education? How do we ensure our members have a healthy, safe, and values-based experience? I ask you to “think on these things.” Every member plays a critical role in how we will answer these important questions in the coming years. Over 122 years ago, the Founders of Alpha Sigma Tau came together in the face of adversity, at a time when fewer than 3% of the female population went to college and when the women’s suffrage movement was still fighting for a woman’s right to vote. We know that our Founders came together to help each other overcome the obstacles they faced both inside and outside the classroom. Our Founders came together to find a safe space to share ideas and talk about the issues of the day. They knew that they were stronger together than they were apart. These women were giving each other a competitive edge. Their bonds of sisterhood went beyond the classroom. They were invested in and committed to each other’s success. I hope you can see why this is just as relevant today as it was in 1899. I believe that Alpha Sigma Tau was built for moments like these. We are a community of Sisters who are there for each other, no matter what life throws at us. We hold high the torch so that others can find their way. We contribute our share to the progress of humankind. There is no better time than now for us to recommit ourselves to helping our fellow Sisters and members of our communities through these challenging times. Let us share our aim to live joyously and valiantly with new members as we welcome them into the bonds of Sisterhood. And let us maintain our fidelity to purpose as a roadmap for defining excellence in our daily lives. And above all, remember that Alpha Sigma Tau is always with you, just as the Sorority has been there for tens of thousands of women for over 122 years. See you in Tampa for our 44th National Convention this June,
Jamie Jones Miller Psi 1995/James Madison National President
S PR I N G 2022 • T H E ANCH OR
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