Angela Mujukian
Alpha Gamma Alpha is not your typical sorority. Priding themselves in not only academics but also community service, the AGA Chapter at UCLA has come a long way from its founding on October 25, 2002. Don’t let the small number of members fool you- each of the eleven talented and unique girls are joined together through a sisterly bond. This isn’t a generic article for advertising the sorority; instead it is an informative piece of writing on what needs to be recognized and what stereotypes must be broken.
In the Armenian community, the word “sorority” usually has a negative connotation. It is easy for people to judge the sorority based on things they have heard or seen in movies or TV shows. A fifth year Anthropology Major and pre-med student, Asdghig Petrosian, expresses her thoughts on AGA, “I thought it was a ‘wanna be’ of other sororities at first, and how I did not want to be a part of those, but then I realized sororities are not about what you see in the movies or media and that they do so much more like charities, community service, and help build your resume a lot.”
It is so much more than just an organization. It is a sisterhood. Students may enter UCLA as freshman and transfers not knowing anyone and not fitting into the college atmosphere. AGA offers the support of sisters, resources, and networking connections that are viable to a successful college careeer.
Over the course of my two years at UCLA, I have pretty much heard all of the excuses and reasons why girls decide not to join AGA: “I don’t know if a sorority is right for me…it’s a huge time commitment…my parents won’t allow it.”
AGA can be noted for its diversity. There is a great mix of different majors who use each other as valuable resources for tutoring, advice, networking, jobs, and much more. The sorority has been part of the Multi-Interest Greek Council at UCLA, and has held the council’s highest gpa for the past two years. Also, the over 50 alumni, of which many have been accepted to grad schools such as Harvard, Colombia, Vanderbilt, UCLA, & USC, currently serve as guides and networking resources for current sisters.
Despite the huge time commitment involved with the sorority, all of the AGA girls are full-time students, most commute, some live on campus or apartments, most have part time jobs, internships, and are actively involved in other organizations outside of school ranging from sports to church. As for community service and philanthropical events, the sorority finds a nice balance between having fun, and helping the community. The AGA parents are fully involved in the sorority’s events. In fact, several events are specifically geared towards them such as the “Mommy and Me” brunch every year at the Castaway and “Daddy and Me” picnic where parents meet and greet.
AGA takes pride in academic excellence and have started the first Academics Chair ofthe Alpha Chapter. This includes mandatory study hours every week, and study hours of completion that must be signed by the Academics Chair. We also have a policy that if a sister does not make 70% of the total number of events or complete the one mandatory community service event each quarter, she must fulfill another community service event, which includes reading to kids at high school and elementary school level.
Fall and Spring quarters are usually the busiest due to recruiting, rushing, and pledging potential sisters. For this fall quarter, AGA has done 14 rush/pledge events and two community service events. The first community service event this quarter was participating in the first annual Dribble for the Cure at UCLA to raise money for Pediatric Cancer Research. The second event was the quarterly Dockweiler Beach clean up, a beach adopted as of last year. AGA has also donated to the Fred Jordan Mission annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, the Zatik Orphanage clothes drive of the ASA at UCLA and the Armenian Telethon Fund.
AGA is really a great support system. AGA seeks students who will bring something different to the organization, those who want to boost social skills, or have a passion forcommunity service, want to be a leader and learn how to run meetings. Above all else, AGA seeks those who need a support system, want to learn responsibility with the help of a sister to prepare them for the real world. I hope the next time you are on campus and see AGA girls wearing their letters, you won’t be discouraged to walk up to them, say hi, and even ask questions.
Being in the sorority offers the chance to build up a resume, boost leadership and social skills, provides avenues for networking, and learning about oneself by helping others while creating life long friendships and sisterhood. Alpha Gamma Alpha is definitely not your typical sorority.
So to the nonbelievers I say:
Like O-M-G we are totally cool!
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