Alpha Omicron Pi
Samantha Luper is probably one of the most passionate people you will ever meet. She’s something like that out of a magazine — petite and beautiful, she is the perfect combination between looks and brains. Not only is she a member of Alpha Omicron Pi, but she also works at Baker’s Crust in Short Pump Mall (which she loves!); also, she is a Mary Kay consultant. Samantha’s honesty and poise is probably one of the most refreshing things about her. Just like her AOII sister Linh, she is an example of what every Sorority woman should strive to be.
Alpha Omicron Pi
Mascot: Panda
Jewels: Ruby
Color: Cardinal Red
Open motto: Rare Bonds of Friendship
Samantha Luper Quick Facts:
Major: Mass Communications-Public Relations concentration with a sociology minor
Age: 21
Year: 5th year senior
Relationship status: Single and Ready to mingle
Sorority Position: Vice President of Chapter development (coordinator of events within our chapter to unify and strengthen our sisterhood )
Length in AOII: 1.5 years (3 semesters)
Hometown: Norfolk, Virginia
Samantha’s Favorites:
Color: coral and turquoise
Food: Sushi
Article of Clothing: Scarf
Time of year: Spring and Fall equally
Book: “Ethics for the New Millennium” by the Dalai Lama
What do you do for fun?
I recently got into running & I love music and photography.
What is one thing people don’t know about you or would be surprised to know about you?
There are two things, since my dad is an artist and I grew up around it, I absolutely love art — making it and observing it. I also really enjoy learning about ethical and social conflicts in the world. I am really passionate about that.
How did your love and passion for ethics come about?
My passion for ethics came about while in college. It occurred to me how important standards of ethics are as I observed students from so many different backgrounds mingle together. Without a shared standard and basic understanding of ethics, this would be chaos. Ethics plays a part in what we do everyday, how we handle situations, how we treat others, and how we share and perceive the world around us. It is fascinating that no one truly knows what another person is thinking or feeling; however, how we communicate and interact with others in our environment has a huge impact on the world, our expression of those thoughts and feelings, and how we can make a difference in our way of life as well as our happiness.
Why did you join AOII?
Coming into college, I expected that I would join a sorority because my sister was in one, and I admired that, but I found that I had ease at making friends and I didn’t see that it was something that I really wanted at first. But going into my senior year knowing that I would be here for another year and a half I realized that there was something missing in my friendships and that was a deeper bond that found in the women of AOII.
What do you think is one common misconception about sorority women?
I think the greatest misconception of sorority women is that we chose an organization based on superficial expectations and that sisterhood is based on those superficial or materialistic things. My sisters chose me just as much as I chose them. I saw in my AOII sisters their virtues and the common characteristics that we shared. This is what sisterhood is about- meeting women that share your values.
Name one thing that is unique to AOII?
I can’t speak for other organizations but I do know that my sisters are some of the most down to earth girls and it makes it easy for us to work together and reach our goals as an organization.
Do you feel like you are paying for your friends?
Absolutely not. On that note, you pay for events that you participate in within your organization The friendships you make are what you put into it. They become your friends overtime based on how much effort, love, and care that you put into it-just like any friendship.
Being a sister and being a friend are two different things. I have sisters across the US and in Canada that I respect as AOII women. The women in my chapter are women that not only I respect as AOII women but have also chosen to share love and kindness with. This is what makes us friends, and not just sisters.
One of the reasons that girls don’t joining sororities is because they are worried about hazing. How does AOII as a sorority address that issue?
It is unfortunate that hazing has been used and is possibly used in some organizations to change the way their new members behave, however, AOII doesn’t give bids to women that we don’t ALREADY see our founders values in. If we needed to change someone, we wouldn’t give them a bid, and that is why we don’t find it necessary to treat anyone as inferior. I think I speak for all sororities when I say that sisterhood is based on love.
Pet Peeves?
One of my biggest pet peeves is when people of academia don’t research a topic of all angles before discussing it. It also really bothers me when people use slang, and they don’t speak properly.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I see myself with a stable career as a Public Relations Practitioner or PR consultant. I might be married by then, who knows; but either way I will hopefully be living closer to my family.
Who is someone who inspires you?
My father is very inspirational… He is the kind of person who you can ask anything to and if he doesn’t know the answer (which is rare) he will find out the answer plus every detail on the topic and he takes genuine interest. I think everyone can benefit from this, learning something not because you have to pass a test, but instead because there are actually interesting things out there besides gossip and Facebook. He taught me that there’s always something interesting to learn- whether it be about the director or a movie or in academia. When you open your eyes to the world this way, life’s never boring and you have more credit as an individual.