DYLAN COUR
STAFF WRITER
The Order of Omega recently held initiations for their newest class. Initiations were open to the public and took place in the chapel.
The Order of Omega is a Greek honorary that rewards Greek men and women who are already leaders within their organization. Membership is extended to leaders who hold junior standing and have been nominated by their organization.
The Order, which was disbanded until this semester, recently inducted its first members since 2016. The group has decided that it is too important of an organization to let it fizzle out. Many of the members have wanted to be a part of the organization for quite a while, so reinstating the Order of Omega was overdue.
Alyssa Mohr (‘19) has been interested in joining the Order since her freshman year. “John, Jelly, myself and Professor Bissell have worked really hard on recreating this organization as something sustainable, something that will help foster good relationships between Greeks and the community, and allow us to serve that community as leaders.”
The Order has not been back on campus for very long, but membership has already done wonderful things for the new members.
“While I have only just recently joined, I have already had the chance to meet some of the incredible Greek leaders on campus. Joining the Order has opened many opportunities to meet and connect with the chapter’s alumni,” said John Stefanek (’19).
Creating a new organization, or reviving an old one, is not a student-only effort. “The re-establishment of the Order occurred as a result of multiple parties with an independent but shared interest coming together in harmony. I was an active member of the Nu Gamma chapter from 2004 – 2006 and served as its president in 2005, so I personally was enthused by my memories of what it had once brought to Alma campus,” said English Professor and faculty advisor Dustin Bissell.
The re-establishment of the Order will impact campus as a whole, not just Greek life. “Considering the current national climate, it is especially important for groups like the Order to exist on our campus, to remind Greeks and non-Greeks alike that Alma College is a place where those with different perspectives and experiences may thrive in harmony and with a shared vision,” said Bissell.
The Order of Omega was created in 1959 by a group of fraternity men at Miami University, who believed that outstanding individuals in the Greek community should be recognized for their service to their school and to their community.
The founder is recognized as Parker F. Enright, the advisor for Greek life at Miami at the time of the Order’s formation. He also believed in recognizing the tremendous amount of good being done by members of Greek life.
In 1964, Enright accepted a position at the University of Pittsburgh and established the organization’s second chapter. Later, the Miami chapter wanted to expand their organization even further and established a third chapter at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1997.
The organization remained an all-male fraternity for the first 18 years of its existence until 1977 when board members voted to make the organization co-ed. There are now over 500 chapters in the U.S. and Canada, with more chapters added each year.
