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Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi is a United States sorority that was founded on October 1, 1998 at the University of California, Davis.
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In the early 1990s with the closing of a national Jewish sorority the University of California, Davis was left without a Jewish women's social organization. With the gap left open Alpha Epsilon Pi, a national Jewish fraternity, urged the women of Davis to start a Jewish women's social organization of their own. With positive response from the campus Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi was formed.
The "Sigma" is meant to represent "sisters of" in honor of Alpha Epsilon Pi's contributions towards the formation of the sorority. Additionally Sigma is also the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet in Jewish tradition, the number 18 means chai (life).
The six women who founded the sorority; Alycia Seaman, Erin Glick, Leah Dansker, Rachel Rothfarb, Erin Barker, and Dana Miller are considered the eternal mothers of the sorority.
Despite being a Jewish sorority there is no discrimination based on race, creed, ethnicity, or religious beliefs.[1]
"The purpose of this organization shall be to promote unity, support, and a Jewish awareness, as well as to provide a Jewish experience for ourselves, our members, and the community as a whole. This organization is devoted to friendship, motivation, opportunity, leadership, and well-being."[2]
The first season of MTV’s “Sorority Life” was filmed in the spring of 2002 on the UC Davis campus featuring members and pledges of ΣΑΕΠ. Through the airing of the show, ΣΑΕΠ has begun to expand across the country.[3]
A national board was started in the summer of 2002 to oversee the expansion and growth of ΣΑΕΠ as a nationwide sorority. Currently, there are 7 alumni members from all different chapters voluntarily serving as the directors on the National Board. 2011-2012 National Board members are:
Director of Operations: Laura Silvester
Director of Membership: Elissa Hermann
Director of Expansion: Chayla Furlong
Director of Finance: Tatiana Chaplin
Director of Programming: Lauren Romano
Director of Public Relations: Jessi Derfler
Director of Protocol: Adi Hanein
At the 2008 national convention, Cancer Schmancer was selected as the sorority's national philanthropy. In addition to the national philanthropy, some chapters also support locally decided philanthropies.
Charter Chapter - Jewish Family Services of Sacramento [4]
Zeta Chapter - MAZON [5]
| Name | Founded | Institution | Location | Status | Notes | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charter | 1998 | University of California, Davis | Davis, California | Active | ||
| Alpha | 2003 | Arizona State University | Tempe, Arizona | Inactive | As of 2005 | |
| Beta | 2003 | University of Minnesota | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Inactive | As of 2008 | [6] |
| Gamma | 2003 | University of California, Riverside | Riverside, California | Inactive | As of 2006 | |
| Delta | 2005 | University of California, Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, California | Active | ||
| Epsilon | 2005 | University of Oregon | Eugene, Oregon | Inactive | As of 2005 | |
| Zeta | 2005 | Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, Virginia | Active | ||
| Eta | 2008 | University of California, Los Angeles | Los Angeles, California | Active | ||
| Theta | 2008 | Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti, Michigan | Active | ||
| Iota | 2009 | University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Baltimore, Maryland | Active | ||
| Lambda | 2010 | University of Missouri | Columbia, Missouri | Active | [7] | |
| Mu | 2010 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, Virginia | Active | ||
| Nu | 2011 | University of California, Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, California | Active |
In 2001, a chapter was founded at San Diego State University by members of the UC Davis chapter, however they did not remain members very long.[8]