Mural in Social Work symbolizes community 'Pulling Together'

By James Idea
Daily Cougar Staff

The UH chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta Phi, one of the largest and fastest-growing sororities in the nation, celebrated its 10th anniversary Monday, while finding time to help out the Asian community in Houston.

"It's only been 10 years, but we've grown into such a large sorority," Alpha Kappa Delta Phi President Tracy Phan said. "It's such a profound event in our lives. It was a dream that our founders had years ago, and it makes me proud to see how much it has grown." 

Before the anniversary celebration, dozens of AKDP members volunteered at Sunday's Vietnamese Tet Festival at the AstroArena by selling tickets and preparing a clothing drive for flood victims in Vietnam.

After the festival, a dinner was held to recognize the founders and current officers of the UH chapter.

"It was a fun dinner and a great success," Phan said. "It gave us a chance to do what girls do best -- gossip, talk, and eat. We had the chance to just have fun with each other and remember old times and talk about how we've grown over the years."

AKDP was established in 1989 at the University of California at Berkeley. The sorority has grown to 27 chapters with more than 1,000 members nationwide and is expected to add at least two more chapters before the end of the year.

"We're a baby sorority, but we've extensively expanded," Phan said. "We have 13 chapters in California, three in Texas and about seven on the east coast."

The UH chapter was established in the fall of 1994 and currently has 49 members.

In addition to volunteering for the Vietnamese Tet Festival, AKDP promotes breast cancer awareness and sponsors clothing drives for the needy. The sorority's latest project is promoting voting among Asians.

"Not very many Asians vote, or are even registered to vote, so this is a way for our organization to give back to the community," Phan said.

UH students interested in joining AKDP can call Tina Dao at (713) 240-3795, or for more information on the sorority, link to www.akdphi.org.