After 33 years of friendship, scholarship and civic responsibility at Iowa State, members of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority have voted to shut down their chapter in May 2003.

Declining membership during the past few years is the main reason behind this decision, said Ruth Goodman, director of communications at the sorority’s national headquarters in Indianapolis.

“The women chose to close their chapter because they were no longer feeling competitive with the other sororities, mainly due to the fact that they have recently had such low numbers at recruitment,” Goodman said.

The sorority withdrew from recruitment this year after it became difficult to get everything done with the members they had. The chapter currently has 16 members.

“With the number of girls we would have needed, a huge strain would have been placed on our members and we didn’t want to put that kind of pressure on them,” said Kira Barclay, chapter president of Alpha Xi Delta.

Barclay, senior in mathematics, believes all members have had a positive experience during their times as members of the sorority.

“We have all gotten so much out of Alpha Xi Delta, and we just want others to be able to get that same great experience in the future,” she said.

“It’s not as if the national organization is shutting them down,” Goodman said. “Closing the chapter was a very difficult choice that they chose to make.”

Alisa Frandsen, assistant dean of students and director of Greek Affairs, said it is rare for chapters to close.

“We hate to lose any chapter, sorority or fraternity, but we are supportive of Alpha Xi Delta, and we will support them throughout this year,” she said.

Membership requirements vary among the chapters, but no chapter can be larger than 92, Frandsen said.

“We don’t want one chapter that is at 150 members and one at five,” she said.

Although Frandsen said either the university or the national headquarters for each chapter can pull charters, this was not the case with Alpha Xi Delta.

“It was chapter members’ decision,” Frandsen said. “It was a risk-management issue.”

Although closing, all events will continue as usual this year, and Barclay said she has high hopes of re-establishment.

“They will continue with all activities, including the philanthropies, however always knowing that this will be their last year,” Goodman said.

However, philanthropies of Alpha Xi Delta, including the teddy bear drive and the three on three tournament, will most likely not be continued by the campus in future years, Goodman said.