After years of preparation, Grand Valley State University’s Mu Alpha chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota will be initiated on April 23. Sigma Alpha Iota, an international women’s music fraternity, is intended to encourage, nurture and support the art of music

“We put on music related events for students to enjoy,” said Amanda Geha, the chapter president. “Last semester we co-hosted an a cappella contest with the Allendale High School Music Boosters. A cappella groups from all over Michigan and surrounding states came together for a night of moderately competitive performing. We invited four judges to come and rate the groups according to song choice, choreography, style, soloists and other performance aspects.”

Geha added that the chapter hopes to continue putting on the a cappella contest as well as other events.

“As long as the interest of the community stays high, we plan to make this an annual event,” she said. “This semester we are planning to co-host an event with the Swing Club. It will be a swing fest where area high school jazz bands will have the opportunity to come to Grand Valley and play for college level adjudicators while area swing dance enthusiasts enjoy a day of live jazz music to dance to.”

Becoming a chartered chapter has been a long process for the girls of Sigma Alpha Iota.

“We are extremely excited, and it’s been a long time in coming, we have quite a process that the girls have to go through,” said Sally Roach, province officer of Sigma Alpha Iota. “First the girls have to have 15 members and function on their own successfully, then they petition to our national organization to officially become a pledge class. Once they are pledges they have to go through a training period and take a national exam. If they pass the exam, then they become a chapter.”

The national organization must also look at GVSU when the fraternity was going through the process of becoming a chartered group. To make sure that GVSU met the requirements, Roach spent a day touring GVSU’s facilities. During her visit, she talked with several professors and department heads.

“We look at the quality of the school, the quality of the music department, whether or not it would be a good fit for our organization,” Roach said.

Sigma Alpha Iota has 215 active collegiate chapters, 120 active alumni chapters, and one international chapter. The organization also does more for society than create music, Roach said.

“There is a huge philanthropic wing, we support projects around the world,” said Roach. “We send instruments and music to countries. We have a project that transcribes music into braille for the blind. We’ve also sent instruments, music and money to Haiti within the last year. We have a very large wing where chapters and individuals can apply for money to fund local projects through our organization.”

The national president of Sigma Alpha Iota, Elizabeth Nordling, will be installing the chapter.

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