One of the most important facets of a sorority is the connection and support members gain from friendships with other women. Alpha Phi values and encourages the cultivation of a true sisterhood, which grows through both formal and casual events. When we perform our rituals at Formal meetings, Initiation, preferential parties, and other ceremonies, we renew the traditions that have sustained our sisterhood for more than 130 years. In addition to these special times, our chapter holds multiple informal sisterhood events each semester. The friendships that begin in college as Alpha Phis will continue throughout our lifetime – we will always remember the fun times we spent together in Ithaca!
Scholarship
Scholarship is one of the fundamental Alpha Phi values, and as Cornell students, we understand the importance of balancing our education with our extracurricular activites. To promote academic success, Alpha Phi has a collection of activites to foster and award academic acheivement. These include: *Coffee tabs at the Mann or Olin library cafes, to promote study hours during the semester. *A 'Skippy' jar raffel- Phis who attend all of their classes that week are eligible to enter and win a gift card or prize at chapter. *Scholarship awards during parents weekend brunch.
Intramurals
Intramurals are a great way for sisters to put their athletic abilities to work without the time commitment of club or varsity sports. In the past we have participated in volleyball, basketball, inner-tube water polo, and dodgeball (which we won!). These games are a fun way for sisters to get together, bond, and unleash their inner athlete.
Formals
Each semester the sisters of Alpha Phi invite their favorite Cornell friends to a wonderful evening of dinner and dancing at one of the nicer venues around Ithaca. The evening is a great chance for sisters of each member class to relax and have fun in the middle of hectic academic year. We treat our formals as a reward for all of the hardwork accomplished by our members throughout the semester.
Date Night
Date Nights provide all the fun of a formal in a more casual setting. Sisters dress up and bring a date to whatever activity or event has been planned. Normally our fall date "night" is a wine tour! We put on sundresses instead of party dresses, and enjoyed a beautiful day outside in the Ithaca sunshine (hopefully).
Crush Parties
We throw one Crush party each semester! Each party is themed, and the venue is completely decked out to reflect the theme chosen. Sisters have a blast hanging out at the house while making decorations during the week prior! Some past crush themes have been Rave, Masquerade, Safari, Las Vegas, and Seven Deadly Sins. These parties are special in that sisters have the opportunity to "crush" two or three people, allowing us to stay close to our friends outside of Alpha Phi.
Big Sisters and Little Sisters
We believe that sisters are the cornerstones of our experience. As such, the big/little sister connection is one of the strongest and most important to an Alpha Phi. We pair bigs and littles through a mutual selection process 4-5 weeks into the new member orientation period. We believe this gives both the new members and the big sisters time to get to know each other on a deeper level, which makes the matching process very simple. Big/Little week happens during the 5th week of our new member period, and is filled with gifts, both humorous and sentimental, that show the personality and traditions of their new lineage (succession of bigs and littles).
Social Events
Every week our directors of Chapter Events plan an exciting and diverse schedule of social exchanges with different fraternities and sports teams. It is a unique opportunity for our members to network and relax with a wide range of Cornell Students. To keep our members amused, we attach themes to some of our events: Athletes and Mathletes, Western, Elementary School, and '80s throwback themes have been amongst the favorites from the past semesters.