The newest sorority to join Wright State’s Greek life is Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII). The organization’s national philanthropy is arthritis research, but WSU’s chapter of AOII will
especially focus on helping veterans and wounded soldiers. Current president of AOII Haley Mruz explained why it is important for the chapter to support military individuals.
“We are right next to the military base and veterans are a big part of people’s lives here,” Mruz said. “They are the heroes of our community, so we want to something really big in support of them and their families such as a ‘Wounded Warrior Dash,’ a big field day.”
AOII was selected in April 2013 to become the university's seventh sorority. It joins Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Zeta, Kappa Delta, Phi Sigma Rho, Theta Phi Alpha and Zeta Tau Alpha. President of the Panhellenic Council (PHC), the governing body of WSU sororities, Katie McGrath talked about what it’s like to have AOII become part of WSU.
"Having AOII come on campus has been really exciting," McGrath said. "I feel that our community has really come together in support of something bigger than ourselves. We all want as many women as possible to find a home away from home, and AOII has opened another door to making that happen."
AOII recently became a full chapter with the induction of 54 members. Members pledged to AOII and were pinned with sorority badges and at the Colonization Ceremony on Oct. 8. After that, AOII will have an installation ceremony, where members will be officially initiated by the international president on Jan. 24. AOII also plans to participate in Raiderthon, a dance marathon at WSU which raises money for the Dayton Children’s Hospital, and has already raised over $700 for the event. Mruz hopes to have more on campus events and include not just fraternities and sororities, but many other organizations, students and community members as well.
“We want to be a very inclusive organization,” Mruz said. “Everyone here is impacted by military life in some way, so we want to involve all WSU students and the community. AOII is more than just a sorority. We are a group of people who want to be leaders and bring change on campus.”
“We are an opportunity for students to get more involved and make connections on campus,” Mruz said. “Students who did not find a fit with the other sororities may find a place in AOII instead. As a new organization, we can do something new and different on campus. We want to bring a new perspective on campus and just keep evolving Wright State.”
