Duke Panhel selects Gamma Phi Beta as 10th sorority

The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life announced via email to its members that Gamma Phi Beta was chosen Duke’s 10th Panhellenic sorority.

The Panhellenic Association voted in Spring 2012 to expand in response to an increase in recruitment numbers over the past five years. Three sororities—Gamma Phi Beta, Sigma Kappa and Phi Mu—gave presentations on campus in late March, and Panhel members voted to decide which group should receive an invitation. Gamma Phi Beta will officially join Duke’s Panhellenic community in Spring 2014. The philanthropic focus of Gamma Phi Beta is “Building Strong Girls.” The sorority is partners with Girls on the Run, Camp Fire and Girl Guides of Canada. All three organizations focus on the empowerment of girls in local communities.

“We wanted to choose organizations that were in line with the University’s goals,” Sarah Loge, program coordinator for the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, told The Chronicle in February.

Senior Kelsey Woodford, former president of Panhel, told The Chronicle in October that Panhel was optimistic about expanding to include more women in the greek system.

“It’ll be really good for the community,” Woodford said. “We’re really excited about it.”

Duke has had nine Panhel sororities since 2008, when Alpha Omicron Pi left campus. Gamma Phi Beta, founded at Syracuse University in 1874, has not had a chapter before at Duke.

Phi Mu had a campus chapter from 1934 to 1987. Sigma Kappa had a campus chapter from 1931 to 1967.