3 minute read
I’m Still Proud to Be a Pi Phi
Members of the Edmond, Oklahoma, Alumnae Club gathered to celebrate Kansas Beta EMOGENE SHARP NIEMAN (center, seated) as she became a Diamond Arrow. Emogene helped establish the Edmond club in 1972.
Becoming a Diamond Arrow is a celebration of Lifelong Commitment. Only about 150 members reach the milestone of 75 years of Pi Phi sisterhood each year. Diamond Arrows are honored at an alumnae club event, often Founders’ Day, where they receive their official pin and share memories of their years in Pi Phi.
Kansas Beta EMOGENE SHARPE NIEMAN was initiated in 1944 and became a Diamond Arrow in 2019. Now 94, Emogene lives in a nursing facility in the Edmond area. She helped found the Edmond, Oklahoma, Alumnae Club in 1972 and remained a faithful, dues-paying member — even when mobility and health challenges made it impossible for her to attend club meetings and events. So, when the time came to recognize Emogene as a Diamond Arrow, Edmond Pi Phis demonstrated the depth of their friendship and respect by attending a special ceremony at Emogene’s facility.
More than 30 club members, from recent graduates to those nearing Diamond Arrow status themselves, gathered to celebrate Emogene and present her pin. Club leaders invited all past Presidents, club founders, longtime members and Emogene’s dearest friends to attend. Photos, scrapbooks and special Pi Phi keepsakes from Emogene’s years at Kansas State University, including a wine carnation from her Bid Day, were displayed for all to see. Emogene recounted stories from her collegiate years and decades of alumnae involvement, to the enjoyment of those gathered.
“Emogene is a founding member of our club, so most everyone who has been involved in the club for a while knows and loves her,” said Oklahoma Alpha AMY ASCH KESSLER, President of the Edmond Alumnae Club. “She’s been one of the most loyal Pi Phis to our club and is so supportive of everyone around her. I was honored to present and pin on her Diamond Arrow.”
Emogene appreciated the chance to visit with club members and share 75 years of Pi Phi memories, especially with the younger women in attendance. “They kept asking questions, and I loved it,” she laughed. “‘What did you do when you got up?’ ‘Who was your house mother?’ It was a very different time to be on campus, and so many of the men were in the service. But it was a wonderful time to be a Pi Phi, and I’m still proud to be a Pi Phi to this day!”
She also recalled some of the early days of the Edmond club. “Our club was very small to begin with; we started with 12,” Emogene said. “Edmond was a small town, and I was friends with all those girls. Getting our charter was really special.” Emogene shared that the club’s meetings were first and foremost social gatherings. “We just talked to each other and had fun,” she said. “We took turns meeting at each other’s homes, which felt so personal. It was easy to have good conversations and do ritual.” The opportunity to reconnect with those days, and the friends who shared her experiences, was an especially poignant part of the celebration. “It was really special — I felt so loved,” Emogene reflected. “I loved seeing members of our original group.”
Amy expressed deep appreciation for the impact Emogene’s commitment to Pi Phi continues to have. “I’m so grateful that she helped start our club,” Amy said. “I’ve met so many wonderful women whom I might not have met if it weren’t for the Edmond Alumnae Club.”
