Installing Officer:
Grand President Amy Burnham Onken,
Illinois Epsilon
Philanthropic Event:
Arrowspike
Installation of Connecticut Alpha
The chapter was installed on April 10, 1943. Installation activities took place at the Community house on campus. The installation banquet featured long tables decorated with smilax and wine and blue flowers. At each place were nut cups with Pi Beta Phi colors, and a menu and program with carnations on the cover, hand-painted by Vermont Beta Suzanne Hopson. Many fraternities on campus sent arrangements of spring flowers, including the Sigma Chi chapter which was installing that same day.
Living at Connecticut Alpha
The chapter house is located in Husky Village on the University of Connecticut campus, which is an area of campus solely dedicated to housing fraternity and sorority life. There are 15 bedrooms in the house, each with two sisters occupying it. The chapter members have occupied this residence on campus since it opened in the fall of 2003.
Something unique the chapter has completed is paint arrows on the walls of the second- and third-floor hallways. During the spring semester, there is an event where the graduating sisters can come and paint their name and their New Member class on an arrow on the wall. There are some that date back to the beginning of the residence in 2003. There are also paddles made by each New Member class hanging on the walls in each of the hallways. The oldest paddle hanging is from the new member class of 1951.
Panhellenic Groups on Campus
Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Epsilon Phi, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Phi, Delta Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Theta and Pi Beta Phi
Philanthropic Service
Connecticut Alpha’s main philanthropy event is Arrowspike. It is a giant volleyball tournament held in Husky Village every year. The other fraternities and sororities on campus all form a team and sign up as well as some other campus groups. There are sponsors who come and donate their time and products, and the chapter members often either sell or give out cookies from Insomnia Cookies or pizza from Dominos.
Notable Alumnae
- Patricia Pritzkau MacLachlan, who wrote “Sarah, Plain and Tall.” She was awarded the John Newbery Medal in 1986.
