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Campus Celebrities: Ottawa’s Newest Founding Mothers

Emily Sams
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar U Ottawa Contributor
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Ottawa chapter.
I had the lovely opportunity to talk to Elizabeth MacDonald and Celine Sartoris, two first year ladies with a dream. They have a passion as founders of the newest sorority on campus (Omicron Iota Psi) to create inclusive spaces in the Greek Community and throughout campus. 
 
HCuO: Tell HerCampus about yourselves!
 
Elizabeth: I’m Elizabeth MacDonald in first year International Development and Globalization! 
 
CĂ©line: and I’m CĂ©line Sartoris in first year Biopharmaceutical Sciences.
 
 
HCuO: What gave you the idea to start a new sorority on campus? 
 
Elizabeth: We decided to found the sorority in order to provide another option for women looking to join a sorority on campus. From my experience with the existing sororities, some have very expensive dues, which makes it hard for many students to join. While there are some sororities that have affordable dues or no dues, we believe that there should be more of those so that people can have more options in terms of groups they really click with. No one should have their options limited because they don’t have that much disposable income.
 
 
HCuO: What are Omicron Iota Psi’s pillars? Can you tell us a little bit about each of them?
 
Céline: Sure! They are; 
  • Academics: We believe that academics are very important. We seek to empower our members to do their best in school, and to take advantage of all the resources available to them on campus.
  • Community: It’s very important for us to build a sense of community in our sisterhood. We want our members to form tight bonds with one another, and know that they have people to come to when they need help.
  • Philanthropy: Giving back to the community is also important for us. We look to fundraise for as many causes as humanly possible in the coming year, whether they be health or social issues.
 
HCuO: What are three interesting facts about the sorority?
 
Elizabeth: Our organization has an official flower, motto, and we’re very affordable!
  • For our flower we chose the yellow rose because it symbolizes friendship/platonic love and joy.
  • Our motto is: Open, Intelligent, Powerful. These are qualities that the sorority and its members embody; we’re open to new people and experiences, intelligent in various ways, and each of us are powerful in some way, as well as the bonds of sisterhood being powerful.
  • Our dues: As we’ve mentioned, we’re looking to be open to as many people as possible, regardless of their disposable income. That’s why we’ve set the dues for 2015-2016 at $25/semester, and we’re allowing for flexible payment plans for sisters who ask for it. It’s really important for people to feel welcome.
 
HCuO: We’ve heard that you want to make Intersectional feminism a big part of Omicron Iota Psi, which is a different (but still totally awesome) theme for a sorority to embody! Can you tell HerCampus where that came from? 
 
Elizabeth: It’s something that both of us feel very strongly about. We feel that a sorority founded in modern times should reflect modern values. We want everyone to feel comfortable joining us, and even though we’re a sisterhood, and we keep referring to members as “sisters”, we want to make it clear that we’re open to anyone, whether they are trans*, gender non-binary, intersex, asexual, lesbian, straight, or cis-gendered. No one should be defined by the genitals they were or weren’t born with, or who they are or aren’t attracted to. We want everyone to feel safe and welcome with us.
 
 
HCuO: What are you most excited for this upcoming fall and the years ahead?
 
Céline: We’re so excited to get the ball rolling and welcome new members. We also can’t wait to start getting to know the other Greek Organizations on campus and integrating into the Greek Community here.
 
 
HCuO: What are you most worried about?
 
Elizabeth: Honestly, the biggest worry is people not being interested in joining. Fortunately, the people we have been inviting to our info sessions have been messaging us telling us that they’re so excited for it, which is a lot of encouragement.
 
 
HCuO: Where can people get more information about Omicron Iota Psi? How can someone get involved? 
 
Céline: “Like” us on Facebook and follow us on twitter @OmicronIotaPsi. You can also email us at omicroniotapsi@gmail.com for more details. We’re looking at the possibility of additional meetings, though with it being exam season that could be difficult. We’re also hoping to have a table at the Fall 2015 clubs’ fair and Greek Week prior to our first rush season.
 
 
HCuO: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us ladies and best of luck in the future!
 
 
References: 
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8
 
 
Emily first got involved in the University of Ottawa's Her Campus chapter in 2015 and is currently part of the Entertainment team. She is in her final year of Conflict Studies and Human Rights with a minor in Women's Studies, works for Public Safety Canada as a Junior Communications Officer and is the President of Theta Sigma Psi sorority.
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