By Kassidy Tsikitas | Staff Writer
This academic year marks the 25th anniversary of alpha Kappa Delta Phi’s chartering on campus — a sorority that continues to spread awareness of Asian culture to the Baylor community since 1997.
aKDPhi is an Asian interest sorority, but not limited to those of Asian heritage. Their mission, according to their organization’s website, is to provide “members with lifelong empowerment, support and friendships through sisterhood.”
Fullerton junior and aKDPhi President Priscilla Shin said being part of this organization means a lot to her. She said it is very special for her to have an environment with support and people she can fit in with.
“I really wanted to find that sense of belonging at Baylor,” Shin said. “A lot of the things we stand for caught my eye and gave me a gateway to find lifetime friendships.”
Shin also said she wants new members to know how diverse they are and the organization is a place in which they can make many different connections.
“Even if they aren’t a part of our sorority, they are a part of our individual families and they can connect with us so we can help them get connected,” Shin said.
San Jose junior and vice president of aKDPhi Megan Maat said the sorority’s goal for philanthropy events is to raise as much as they can to give back to the women suffering from breast cancer.
Maat also said they want to build a sisterhood that creates confident, independent women and spread Asian awareness throughout Baylor.
“We like to run our sorority like a business. We try to be business professionals but also have fun sisterhood events where we have a tight close community,” Maat said.
Shin and Maat said their sorority is accepting and deeply connected. They participate in bonding events every semester to engage in strong conversations without the pressures of a business atmosphere.
Throughout the spring semester, members have gathered to celebrate the 25th anniversary, including joining alumnae for a weekend with service events and a banquet. The members were reminded of the hard work and sisterhood instilled through the sorority.
On April 27, aKDPhi will be pairing up with its brother fraternity, Lambda Phi Epsilon, and other Asian organizations, to throw an event called “CelebrASIAN.” The event will consist of food and performances from all Asian-based cultures. The organizations will also pair up with Asian-owned local businesses in Waco such as Waco Cha and Lee’s Kitchen.
