| Alpha Sigma Rho | |
|---|---|
| ΑΣΡ | |
 | |
| Founded | April 2, 1998 University of Georgia |
| Type | Social |
| Affiliation | NAPA |
| Status | Active |
| Emphasis | Asian-American unity |
| Scope | National |
| Motto | "Strength in Unity" |
| Pillars | Academic Excellence, Interpersonal Growth, Moral Development, and Strength in Unity |
| Colors | Red, White, and Silver |
| Symbol | 女 ("Nu", the Chinese symbol for "woman") |
| Flower | Calla lily |
| Jewel | Opal |
| Mascot | Swan |
| Philanthropy | National Ovarian Cancer Coalition |
| Chapters | 13 |
| Nickname | Alpha Sigs, ASR |
| Headquarters | Athens, Georgia United States |
| Website | www.alphasigmarho.org |
Alpha Sigma Rho (ΑΣΡ), also known as Alpha Sigs, ASR, and Lovely Ladies in Red, is an American Asian-interest, but not exclusive, social sorority founded in 1998 at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. Alpha Sigma Rho was the first Asian-interest sorority established in the state of Georgia.
History
[edit]Alpha Sigma Rho was founded as an Asian interest sorority in 1998 by twelve women at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.[1] Its founders are collectively referred to as the "founding mothers".[2] The founding mothers are Irene Chien, Sandra Chu, Young Jeon, Debbie Kwon, Angela Lu, Lynn Nguyen, Anne See, Anna Suh, Juliette Taylor, Jessica Yoo, Suzanne Yoo, and Jasmine Yu.[2]
Sigma Rho was the first Asian-interest sorority established in the state of Georgia.[1] The sorority has spread to universities in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.[1]
Symbols
[edit]Sigma Rho's motto is "Strength in Unity".[3] It is based on the principles or pillars of academic excellence, interpersonal growth, moral development, and strength in unity.[3]
The founding mothers adopted symbols for the sorority.[3] Its flower is the calla lily and its mascot is the swan.[3] The sorority's colors are red, silver, and white.[3] Its gemstone is the opal.[3] Its symbol is Nu, the Chinese symbol for woman.[3]
Its nicknames are Alpha Sigs and ASR.
Membership
[edit]Applicants may seek membership as college undergraduates or as graduate students. Membership is open to those who meet the requirements, regardless of race, nationality, religion, and several other factors.[1]
Philanthropy
[edit]On a national level, the sorority is pledged to support the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.[1] The sorority's various chapters work with their local Asian-interest philanthropic organizations to help them with fundraising and publicity. These include China Care,[4] Austin Children's Services,[5] and Circle of Sisterhood.[6]
Chapters
[edit]Following are the chapters of Alpha Sigma Rho, with active chapters indicated in bold and inactive chapters in italics.[7][8]
| Chapter | Charter date and range | Institution | Location | Status | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | April 2, 1998 | University of Georgia | Athens, Georgia | Active | |
| Beta | 2000 | University of Texas at Austin | Austin, Texas | Active | |
| Gamma | 2002–2003 | Georgia Tech | Atlanta, Georgia | Inactive | |
| Delta | 2007 | University of Texas at San Antonio | San Antonio, Texas | Active | |
| Epsilon | 2007 | Temple University | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Active | |
| Zeta | 2015 | Towson University | Towson, Maryland | Active | |
| Eta | 2016–2020 | Denison University | Granville, Ohio | Inactive | [9] |
| Theta | 2018 | University of South Carolina | Columbia, South Carolina | Active | |
| Iota | 2019 | Texas Tech University | Lubbock, Texas | Active | |
| Kappa | 2019 | Montclair State University | Montclair, New Jersey | Active | |
| Lambda | 2020 | University of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Active | |
| Mu | 2020 | Texas State University | San Marcos, Texas | Active | |
| Nu | 2022 | Georgia State University | Atlanta, Georgia | Active | |
| Xi | 2024 | George Mason University | Fairfax, Virginia | Active |
See also
[edit]- List of Asian American fraternities and sororities
- List of social sororities and women's fraternities
- Cultural interest fraternities and sororities
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "History & Establishment". Alpha Sigma Rho Sorority, Inc. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
- ^ a b "History". Alpha Sigma Rho. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Our Values". Alpha Sigma Rho. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ Torres, Maria (April 5, 2012). "Alpha Sigma Rho raises money for Chinese orphans". The Red & Black. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ "Austin Children's Shelter Annual Report 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016.
- ^ "Circle of Sisterhood Gala". Archived from the original on April 14, 2015.
- ^ "Chapters". Alpha Sigma Rho. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ William Raimond Baird; Carroll Lurding (eds.). "Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities (Baird's Manual Online Archive), section showing Alpha Sigma Rho chapters". Student Life and Culture Archives. University of Illinois: University of Illinois Archives. Retrieved December 31, 2021. The main archive URL is The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage.
- ^ Kubbins, Hannah (April 5, 2016). "Alpha Sigma Rho Sorority, Inc. arrives on Denison's campus". The Denisonian. Retrieved May 10, 2024.