A Sisterhood of Diversity & Love
Writer: Emma J. / Editor: Ariana W.
Sisterhood is a pillar that all Panhellenic women share. In Alpha Chi Omega (Alpha Chi), sisterhood is one of the biggest focuses that the chapter women have. Emma K. says it best, “Sisterhood is being with the people who make you feel comfortable and you can feel at home. Or someone who is there for you whether it is to cry, laugh or just be happy with. My chapter exudes this and I always feel comfortable going to the house and it makes me so happy seeing everyone, especially, with my position of connecting and loving each other.” Being on the executive board as the Vice President of Membership and Programming, she is able to see firsthand what this sisterhood means to the chapter.
Alpha Chi hosts many events throughout the year to create close bonds between its members. Whether it is having a movie night at their house or going on a chapter-wide trip, there is always something happening within the chapter. These events sponsor the idea of a growing friendship between all the sisters. One of the ways that Alpha Chi tries to inspire sisterhood is by highlighting and sharing the different backgrounds of each sister.
Their Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Anna L., is always sharing fun events from different clubs, cultures, and groups of people on campus. She states, “I did not know what true sisterhood meant until I joined Alpha Chi Omega. All of the women in Alpha Chi are so diverse, but we all have Alpha Chi in common. We all come from different backgrounds, and Alpha Chi has exposed me to so many amazing people and given me so many unique opportunities. On the outside, it may seem like we are not diverse, but when you look on the inside we all have different majors, come from different cultures, and have different experiences.” It is really the little things that stand out in making this chapter feel like a real sisterhood, whether it is planning meals around religious holidays that some sisters may follow, or creating opportunities for sisters to share their culture, Alpha Chi creates so many bonding activities for their sisters based off of loving each other for their differences.
There is not one day at Alpha Chi where something is not happening to grow the relationships of the sisters involved. Using something as fun as their sisterhood retreat to Universal Studios, Alpha Chi is able to create bonds between sisters that last a lifetime.
When asked what her favorite part of the whole trip was, Emma K. said, “The bus ride there and back 100%. On the bus ride there we were tired but everyone was so excited and hearing everyone talk about what they were gonna do with their friends, made me genuinely so happy! On the way back, I heard everyone talking about what they loved doing and they were laughing and then I swear the whole bus passed out at the exact same time.”
Even during a trip to a theme park, you can see that the sisters' favorite time was when they were just able to be with each other, even if it was just on a bus ride. You can really see how Alpha Chi strives to make all the sisters within its walls feel included and loved as soon as they join this sisterhood. Retreats like this create experiences that these sisters will remember for a lifetime. Members of Alpha Chi simply enjoyed being able to use the Universal trip to take a break from life and be surrounded by the people who they love the most.
When describing how sisterhood really affected her time at Alpha Chi, another Emma K. stated, “with all the events we plan big or small, it is just a way to meet other people you might not have and get to know new people. You are able to build different connections being in such a large chapter.” In this you see how all sisterhood events and diversity that happen within the chapter aid to make you be able to walk into any room at their chapter and see a friendly face. Someone who loves you is never too far away in our Panhellenic community, and the sisterhood that Alpha Chi strives to continue everyday is a prime example of that.