Omicron Xi Chi inducted three new members into their sorority during its probate last Tuesday night. This probate class is called “The Essence” and initiated the sixth class of OXC. 

OXC’s mission is to enhance the ACU experience for black women while maintaining and welcoming inclusion for all women. 

Jacqueline Garcia Torres, senior marketing major from Abilene, is the President of OXC. 

“The family and the way we interact with each other, it’s very unique and very special because it kind of feels like we’ve known each other for our entire lives,” Garcia Torres said.

About six weeks of training go into preparation for the probate.

“It’s recitation of our mission, our statement, who we are, the history of folks who came before us, who we take inspiration from, and then obviously any special skills that the girls have,” Garcia Torres said.

Each probate class has its own dances, songs, and traditions. 

Bella Garcia (left), Kairssa Idoko (middle), and Mikiaya Norris (right) receive their lavaliere from OXC members (Photo taken by Baylie Simon)

Kairssa Idoko, a senior interior architecture and design major from Nigeria, was one of the three members to be inducted into OXC. Idoko had been wanting to join OXC since her freshman year, but couldn’t decide if she wanted to join because her friends were in it, or if it was something she wanted to do for herself. 

“It’s just a group of girls who are diverse in cultures, our heritage, and our upbringings, and I really wanted to embody that through my last year here at ACU,” Idoko said. “It was a long decision to make, now I’m finally in it.” 

Bella Garcia, a senior Kinesiology major from Austin, and Mikiaya Norris, a sophomore nursing major from Lubbock, also performed at the probate.

In support, the probate was attended by family members, friends, and OXC’s brother fraternity, Nu Kappa Psi.

The probates performed an Afrobeat dance, part of OXC tradition and Idoko’s Nigerian culture. They also did strolling, a dance style that started in the early 1900s through historically Black collegiate organizations, and the Divine Nine, a group of fraternities and sororities that formed in 1930 due to racial segregation on college campuses. The dance style has roots in African traditions and symbolizes unity and strength. 

“So just having that here at ACU, because ACU is a predominantly white institution, we just happen to be a group of girls who are diverse in culture and upbringing,” Idoko said. “Just having that space to be authentically myself around a group of girls who won’t judge me.”