Members of the Beta Epsilon chapter of Theta Phi Alpha will celebrate their organization’s 99th birthday today as they prepare for the fraternity’s upcoming centennial.

“This is a huge thing for Theta Phi Alpha fraternity and we are privileged to still be going strong and keep all the ideals and values of our founders that were created almost 100 years ago,” said LeeAnn Prisk, the Centennial Chair of Beta Epsilon. “Myself, as well as all the sisters of Theta Phi Alpha, are excited to see what is in store for the centennial year as well as the next centennial to come.”

As a way to celebrate this occasion, Theta Phi Alpha will be holding several events throughout the year, both nationally as well as on Southeastern’s campus. The first event is Badge Day, held on Tuesday, Aug. 30.

This will be the kick off event where members of Theta Phi Alpha all over the country will wear badges in honor of the 99th birthday, which begins the centennial year, an event Theta Phi Alpha sisters are proud to be involved with.

“Theta Phi Alpha means so much to so many women across the nation,” said Beta Epsilon Ritual Chair Allison Vallette. “Our 99th birthday marks the beginning of our centennial year, something we are so proud of. Theta Phi Alpha has come a long way in these past 99 years.”

Another centennial event includes the March of the Penguins: National Day of Service on Sept. 11. The Beta Epsilon chapter will be celebrating National Day of Service on Sept. 10, where they will assist with renovations and landscaping at the Ginger Ford Northshore Fuller Center for Housing.

“We wanted to give back locally because the Hammond community has been so generous to us,” said Prisk. “It’s on the 10th because they only work on sites Monday-Saturday so we picked the closest date we could to the 11th.”

Beta Epsilon Faculty Advisor Kandace Formaggio expressed her excitement over the upcoming project as part of the centennial celebration.

“One of my favorite parts of the centennial year will be the March of the Penguins: National Day of Service when Theta Phis from all around the nation will be working on service projects to help their communities,” said Formaggio. “Serving humanity truly defines what our sisterhood is about.”

Other events include alumnae reunions for chapters across the country, special Founders’ Day celebrations on April 30, 2012, and the Centennial Convention, which will be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on July 10-15, 2012.

“We, the Beta Epsilon chapter of Theta Phi Alpha, will be participating in all of the events and will be adding a few of our own,” said Prisk. “On Aug. 30, we will be participating in Badge Day, as well as hosting a birthday party for Theta Phi Alpha members at the Theta Phi Alpha house.”

According to Prisk, the Beta Epsilon chapter will also be participating in and contributing to the “Links to the Future” campaign, a fund set up to enhance and preserve Theta Phi Alpha for the second century. Goals of the campaign include digitally archiving the fraternity’s history, new equipment for the national convention and also tours and transportation to the national convention.

“This will give the national fraternity a chance to properly preserve artifacts and purchase new things,” said Prisk.

Theta Phi Alpha is one of 26 national sororities recognized in the National Pan-Hellenic Conference and was founded on Aug. 30, 1912 at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Beta Epsilon chapter of Theta Phi Alpha was founded in February 1990 at Southeastern. According to Prisk, Theta Phi Alpha has won several awards since its founding on Southeastern’s campus including being first chapter of Theta Phi Alpha to win the Circle of Excellence. This is the highest award bestowed on a chapter by Theta Phi Alpha nationally.