“Pi Phis have the closest sisterhood,” said Victoria Scigliano, California Beta. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously. Instead, we step back and enjoy. It’s what really binds everyone together.”
She explains it is because of the way the chapter house is set up “Southern-style” with seven or eight women sharing one day room for desks, closets and dressers. Everyone sleeps in the sleeping porches specifically used for sleep and rest, allowing people to not bother one another other while sleeping. The day room is where Victoria has witnessed some of her favorite sisterhood moments.
“I usually get kicked off as DJ because I like Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nix,” she said. But one song all of the sisters can agree on is a Cindy Lauper classic. “A few weeks ago, I got my midterm back and was dishearten by my grade,” Victoria said. “My sisters knew something was wrong because I was crying in the day room. Someone played ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ and we had a dance party for an hour before going off to study again. This allowed me to relax and de-stress.”
Victoria can also count on 10 p.m. snacks, made by House Director Kay Filippo, Arkansas Alpha, to bring her and her sisters together. “You can hear everyone stomping down the stairs of the chapter house to get pretzels, apples, fruit bars and then one hour later, you go back to studying,” she said.
Another special sisterhood event that Victoria loves is called Girls Night Out. Before formal recruitment starts, groups of Pi Phis dress up in costumes to create teamwork and bonding instead of stressing out about upcoming recruitment. Some great costumes include Grinches, Benjamin Franklins and other silly characters. “Pi Phis love to dress up in costumes,” Victoria said. “The experience bonds us together because we learn to be comfortable with ourselves. Last year, some of us even dressed up as Ronald McDonald and went to McDonalds.”
Victoria will be studying abroad this spring semester, but thinks fondly about the time she has had in the chapter house thus far. “When will we ever be living with our girlfriends again?” she said.