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Greek life returns to TusculumGreeklife student organizations are making a returnto Tusculum College with a sorority founded oncampus this past fall and a fraternity currently in theorganizational stage.The Alpha Omega Beta Chapter of Beta Sigma Phinational sorority was formed this fall and currently has 12student members. The Chapter was formed byco-founders Michelle Hoover, a senior English major fromSmyrna, Tenn., and Elizabeth Wright, a junior from Powell,Tenn., majoring in mathematics with a computer scienceconcentration. The group became affiliated with TusculumCollege in January and became an official TusculumCollege student organization.The chapter’s advisor is FeliciaNunley, who has been a BetaSigma Phi for 41 years.“Michelle and Beth reallywanted to see a sorority on theTusculum campus,” said CierraOckstadt, a sophomore businessmajor from Portland, and amember of the first pledge class.“Beth’s mother was a BetaSigma Phi, so it was a natural firstchoice.”Ockstadt added that it is a noncollegiatesorority, which is notalways associated with a collegeor university. Because of this, duesare much less than would be foundin a collegiate-affiliated sorority.The group will hold their firstrush fall semester of the 2012-13 academic year. Theorganization is open to any female with a 3.0 or highergrade point average with demonstrated good character.The organization will dedicate its philanthropic work toRelay for Life and breast cancer research efforts, as well aswork with a local soup kitchen and other local and regionalorganizations.In addition to Hoover, Wright and Ockstadt, foundingmembers of Beta Sigma Phi include Austen Herron,a sophomore English major from Durham, N.C.; JoyBeeler, a senior psychology major from New Tazewell,Tenn.; Kayla Jones, a junior psychology major fromJonesborough, Tenn.; Emily Shipsey, a sophomore museumstudies major from Nashville, Tenn.; Kayla Overholt,a junior English major from Newport, Tenn.; BritanyMenken, a junior English major from Maryville, Tenn.;Billie Jennings, a senior English major from MountainCity, Tenn.; Corrine Absher, a freshman political scienceand digital media major from Kingsport, Tenn., and AngelMembers of Beta Sigma Phi gathered at theThomas J. Garland Library for a St. Patrick’sDay social. Front row, from left, are Kayla Jones,Corrine Absher, Elizabeth Wright, MichelleHoover and Cierra Ockstadt, and back row, fromleft, are Billie Jennings, A.J. Overholt, AngelWest, Austen Herron and Brittany Menken.29West, a sophomore English major from Buford, Ga.In addition to the formation of Beta Sigma Phi, amusic fraternity for men is also in the early stages ofdevelopment.According to Alex McKay, a junior business majorfrom Chattanooga, Tenn. and one of the co-founders ofthe proposed Tusculum group, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia isin the early stages of colonization as a possible chapter atTusculum College.Phi Mu Alpha is founded on the principles of brotherhoodand the love of music and is a men’s fraternity. The objectof the organization is the “development of the best andtruest fraternal spirit, the mutual welfare and brotherhoodof musical students, theadvancement of music in Americaand a loyalty of the Alma Mater.”McKay and Jeremy Dodson,a sophomore political sciencestudent from Nashville, Tenn., havebecome probationary membersof the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfoniaorganization at East TennesseeState University.After becoming members, thetwo hope that, with the blessingof the province governor of EastTennessee, a Tusculum Chaptercould be sponsored by ETSU, witha rush for members held in the fall.Membership is open to men18 years of age or older who arestudents, faculty or staff of thesponsoring college or university who are able and willingthrough their love of music to assist in the fulfillment ofthe object and who are not a member of any other musicfraternal society.The national philanthropy for Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia isMills Music Mission, which is dedicated to “uplifting thesouls of the less fortunate through the beauty and power ofmusic.”Learningmore aboutthe musicfraternity ispart of theprobationaryperiod forthe Tusculummembers ofPhi Mu AlphaSinfonia.