For Senia Overstreet, being a Black woman on campus means she is used to putting herself out there in order to be seen. On ACU’s campus there are a few different spaces for minority women, but it was still missing that space in one key component of the ACU culture: a sorority. A sorority where women like Senia could all be seen.
Omicron Xi Chi is the newest sorority on campus. Founded in 2022, the mission is to create spaces for a combination of minority cultures and communities within the Greek Life sphere.
Before OXC was fully OXC, groups such as Sisters provided spaces for women across campus to connect. Sponsor Dr. Ramonica Scott reached out to Senia, vice president of the Sisters at the time, to see if a sorority was on the minds of the students.
“She came to us, she said, ‘Hey, have you all thought about this?’ And we said, ‘No, but let’s consider it,’” Senia , senior english major from Fort Worth, said. “We were trying to get Alpha Kappa Alpha … but that just didn’t work out. And so our sponsor said, ‘Hey, I have this good idea here.’ She just had the idea of a sorority.”
Before they had decided on names, colors or traditions, Senia, Dr. Scott and others took the proposition of the founding to Student Life. Though there were some roadblocks and continuous presentations about what positive impacts they believed OXC would hold for students, ultimately it was decided that the sorority would allow women to uplift each other in new ways.
PJ Martinez, associate dean of student engagement, worked with the students to make sure there was a difference between OXC and Sisters then jumped at the opportunity to help OXC come to fruition, citing both his multicultural background and work in multicultural centers.
“Anytime we can get underrepresented groups to be formed on campus, I’m all in,” Martinez said. “It has been so cool to see minority women on a campus be created and have an opportunity to express themselves as part of a social group. And so anytime I see them, I’m always there to help share them and support them.”
OXC took its first member class this fall and is gearing up for another rushing and joining season in the spring semester. The sorority and joining process are influenced by National Panhellenic Council sororities, specifically in traditions like the tradition of strolling. Dr. Scott, a member of Sigma Gamma Rho, said that being a part of a Divine Nine sorority made her bolder, and she wants the women of OXC to learn that as well.
“[Sigma Gamma Rho] taught me so much. I grew up a lot” Scott, associate professor in the department of kinesiology and nutrition, said. “It just made me bolder… I wanted to bring that to these young women. They don’t have any of my organizations, rituals or any of their moves as far as when they stroll and when they step. But there is just a culture surrounding that to where OXC can have their own, but still represent the culture of the Black sorority”
The traditions, while secrets, are all structured to create a space for uplifting community and sisterhood for the women involved. Sponsor Kam Taylor said they hope their girls will find ways to support themselves not just as a club, but as people.
“We really want to instill a sisterhood with our girls,” Taylor, Resident Director of Nelson Hall, said. “Life is hard. Life doesn’t stop just because you’re in college. And how can we best support you both as a club, but also as a person?”
Through the creation of a space for minority women, creating sisterhood and included influences of NPHC organizations, Dr. Scott said there is still a common goal that ties everything together: culture.
“I say culture a million times because it is so important,” Scott said. “It’s not about race. It’s about the culture and how you live your life. You can find people that are kind of similar to how they live how they live their life compared to yours. It makes your time at any institution awesome.”
