Ask Dr. Ross

What's the Real Sorority Experience? Exploring Greek Life at UT Tyler

• Catherine Ross • Season 3 • Episode 9

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The stereotypical sorority experience is well-known, negative, and (unsurprisingly) not true of every chapter.  Most people think they know what Greek life - but what do the insiders say?

This week, Dr. Ross and student producer Ashley Worley explore Greek life within UT Tyler's Alpha Chi Omega chapter.  Joining the discussion are Alpha Chi's alumni advisor Michelle Gonzalez and chapter president Elizabeth Nixon to share the impact of sisterhood on their college journeys.  Together, they dive into their experiences with sorority culture, community outreach, and career prep opportunities.  For students curious about what Greek life is really like, the stories may not be what you expect.

Have more questions about life inside a sorority? Email us at ADRquestions@gmail.com or leave a comment below. We'd love to hear from you!  

Want to learn more or connect with UT Tyler's Greek Life? Click the links below!

-UT Tyler Sorority recruitment webpage: https://www.uttyler.edu/student-life/greek-life/recruitment/sororityrecruitment/

-Alpha Chi Omega UT Tyler Instagram: @axo_uttyler

-Alpha Chi Omega UT Tyler Facebook page: Kappa Mu Chapter - Alpha Chi Omega

SPEAKER_00:

Stay tuned to the Ask Dr. Ross Podcast. It's created to give you info to succeed at college. Our hosts are highly qualified. Dr. Katherine Ross is a member of the University of Texas Systems Academy of Distinguished Teachers. She's also a popular professor of 19th century English literature. Ask Dr. Ross is a community service of the University of Texas at Tyler.

SPEAKER_04:

Well, today we're interviewing two representatives of one of the sororities at UT Tyler. Michelle Gonzalez, who is the chapter advisor. She's also one of our premier academic advisors here. And then Miss Elizabeth Nixon, who is the president of the sorority, and the name of the sorority is Elizabeth? Alpha Chi Omega. Alpha Chi Omega.

SPEAKER_02:

Michelle, how many sororities do we have on this campus now? We have three sororities on campus. We have Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, and Zeta Tal Alpha. And how big are they, Elizabeth?

SPEAKER_03:

Our chapter right now, after recruitment, we have 67 girls, and most of the other chapters have around the same. 67? That sounds like a pretty healthy complement of women.

SPEAKER_02:

We all tend to be about the same size. We are in the College Panalenic Council, so there is two different councils here on campus. There's the multicultural sororities. We are in the CPH College Panalinic Council within our council at those three sororities.

SPEAKER_04:

That Panalenic Council, that's the ancient one that started back in the 19th century with AD Pi and TriDelt, and the ones I know my mother and my aunt were part of. So do you know much about the history of them and why they were started, Elizabeth?

SPEAKER_03:

Honestly, I don't. I just know we were founded here on campus in 2006. It was us and Delta Cama that were founded here first. And I'm really glad that we did get Greek life because I feel like UT Tyler wouldn't have grown without it.

SPEAKER_04:

So you think that UT Tyler's growth and UT Tyler has grown from when I was here 20 years ago, it was 3,200 students, and we have 11,000 now. So this interesting claim that it was the Greek life that has made UT Tyler grow. Would you agree with that, Michelle?

SPEAKER_02:

I think it's essential to the student experience. You know, us being out here in East Texas, the other closest school with uh Greek experience is SFA, Stephen F. Austin. So with them being the closest one, UT Tyler providing this Greek experience, you know, definitely enhances the student experience that they have and and it, you know, creates bonds to the school. A lot of our students that are in the coordinated admissions process that they're on track to go to UT Austin end up staying here after joining Greek life because they've made friends and they've made connections. Yeah, let's talk about that.

SPEAKER_04:

Elizabeth, tell us what attracted you to the Greek life and what does Greek life mean?

SPEAKER_03:

Well, when I came in as a freshman, I had no idea what a sorority was. I found out through a friend that graduated in high school with me. She was in Alpha Chiomeg, and I was like, that looks fun. So I went through recruitment. And then I remember one of the questions being, so are you interested in leadership? And I was like, what is leadership? I had no idea. And I'm so glad I got to talk to it and everything, because I came in to the first chapter, and they were like, you should run for this position. And I was like, I don't know if I could do it. And then they had put me on an interest form and they were like, I think you could do it. And so I did it.

SPEAKER_04:

So your idea of sorority life was it was fun. And there might have been this stuff about leadership now. Michelle, I think you probably can articulate a little more broadly what all these things were, because you're the first one to use the term Greek life. And you were in sorority, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, ma'am. I'm an Alpha Chai Omega. I went through recruitment very many springs ago. I was initiated into the Epsilon Lambda chapter at UT Arlington. When I moved here, they needed a volunteer position. I volunteered. But the leadership opportunities that are given, so within the chapter, there are 15 leadership positions. So when members pay their dues a semester, these dues are then spread out amongst these 15 vice presidents. And then this money is used for their events, for their t-shirts, for their food, to pay for, you know, buses to get them back and forth. So all the money they pay is given right back to them through their experiences.

SPEAKER_04:

So that leadership is a matter of coming up with projects, organizing them, getting them set up, paid for, done. So that's an interesting thing. Now, isn't there also something about scholarship?

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, ma'am. So there is a required GPA to maintain. There's a different one if you want to be a vice president. We call it the executive board. To be on the executive board, there's a higher GPA requirement. What is the GPA requirement?

SPEAKER_03:

3.0.

SPEAKER_04:

3.0 to be a leader. And to stay in the group and not ever get kicked out, you have to have a 2.8. Which is almost a B. It's pretty close to being a B.

SPEAKER_02:

One of the vice presidents is intellectual development. Her task is that we get GPAs every semester from the Panolinic or Greek Life Director, and the VP ID goes through them and she'll see, hey, who's maybe struggling this semester? Let's call them in. What are some study strategies that we can do to help you? You know, how can we help maintain your GPA higher? Because obviously we know women are here most importantly to graduate and to go to school, and that's what we want to see them succeed and do great. So yeah, so VP ID, that that is her role to how can we academically help you? So she collaborates with career success. She'll collaborate with other alumni to help, you know, find resources for our members, offer study tips, she'll have study hours in the library. So yeah, we're definitely inclined to help them succeed.

SPEAKER_04:

Does Africai Omega have service projects, Elizabeth?

SPEAKER_03:

Yes, we have very many. One of them we like to do in the fall is our casino night. We'll invite everybody on campus, staff, all our girls, family, and friends to come and play games and raise money for the East Texas Crisis Center. We uh help the East Texas Crisis Center because our philanthropy is domestic violence awareness and they are the center in Tyler. We also do hands-on projects with them as well.

SPEAKER_02:

We've made bags for them, like they'll do Easter baskets for the survivors in the shelter. They'll do flamingos, that's a resale shop that's run through ETCC. So people donate their items and it's like a consignment store. So you help to build up their stock. Yeah. Go through the clothes and help them filter out what's good, what will sell. And they let the women at the shelter go through, pick like work outfits so that they can get, you know, job interviews, that kind of thing. But yeah, every time the East Texas Crisis Center needs something, they'll usually reach out to us and be like, hey, we're needing hands, you know, help us hide Easter eggs, help us work this trick-or-treat event that we're having. So we'll usually go up there and help them out.

SPEAKER_04:

So it sounds like that particular form of service is also teaching you all a lot about the life of women that are not like yours.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes, definitely. There's so many opportunities that I feel like if I wasn't in Greek life, I wouldn't have grown as much. For one, time management, of course. We have a lot of events. I host a lot of meetings, executive board meetings, chapters.

SPEAKER_04:

How often do y'all meet? Once a week. The whole sorority meets, once a week. Okay, now I understand that you've all talked to the president about maybe one day having a residence.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes. I've spoken to her. She said potentially in the future, she's definitely looking at a Greek row. It's not in the plans right now, but she said she's definitely thinking about it.

SPEAKER_04:

Well that'll be one of your legacies to keep the sorority sisters who come along behind you. So you've grown by being around women who are less fortunate than you. You've grown by learning how to manage yourself and be a leader. What are some of the other things that you think this Greek life has given to you?

SPEAKER_03:

I feel like I just wouldn't have gotten the experience from UT Tyler. I feel like I've made so many deep connections that I definitely wouldn't have made inside of a classroom. And I'll always remember like the late night study nights and the hanging out and things like that. And I feel like that's really what made my UT Tyler experience so special.

SPEAKER_02:

Let me tell you, she is Miss UT Tyler, okay? She won the Homecoming Queen, and she is also a Rose scholar. She's humble, but let me well you tell us. Let me brag on how brag on her.

SPEAKER_03:

I went through an interview process for the Presidential Rose Scholarship, and then I was selected one out of the ten.

SPEAKER_04:

Well, y'all were introduced at convocation, and it's my understanding that you all are going to be spokespersons for the university, that you will go out and speak to the community about what goes on at UT Tyler, you're a representative of the university. That's a mighty tall order.

SPEAKER_01:

That's a really big deal. You should be very, very proud of yourself. Thank you. And I was wondering too, when you were talking about you went through some sort of registration process for getting in. So what does that look like for students who are maybe interested in sororities but don't really know if it's for them? What can they prepare for if they're wanting to apply?

SPEAKER_03:

We have two different registration processes. We just finished our formal recruitment, which is in the fall, and it's one of our busier times of the year. It's one you'll see more on social media in display to the public. We have three rounds that you get to go through sisterhood, philanthropy, and preference. And then the girls get to get invited back to our room, get to know a little bit more about us, our connection, and see if this is where they belong. And so that's kind of how we do it. And then leading up, of course, we have all our social media and like being on campus, trying to promote Alpha Chi and things like that.

SPEAKER_04:

It's my understanding, I mean, each of y'all are all sororities, but each of you has your own personality, your own kind of culture. How would you distinguish Alpha Chi Omega?

SPEAKER_03:

For us, my go-to saying and our motto is real strong women. And that's how I feel like our chapter reflects. We're a bunch of real strong women that came together and want to make a difference in the community. So what is a real strong woman? It could be so many things. To me personally, just growing, even if it's personality, leadership, academics, as long as you're making a personal growth and development in the chapter, I feel like you're a real strong woman.

SPEAKER_04:

Well, and you know, let's face it, college takes some strength, doesn't it? Take some courage. There's many days when you walk around going, Oh no, what am I gonna do? I I don't know how to do this, I'm scared, I'm worried, I'm lonely, whatever. And so strength I think is one of the things I hope all my students have. And also confidence, self-confidence. What else do you tell them?

SPEAKER_02:

I think like-minded people just end up in similar groups, honestly. I think a lot of the times you just connect with people and you're like, this is where I feel right. Yeah, these are my people. Yeah, I will say I feel like our philanthropy, which is the cause that we support, does drive a lot of people. Obviously, domestic violence awareness is a very hard topic to talk about. And it's not one that's talked about very often, but I think we're able to directly see the benefits that we do for our philanthropy, and we're able to see the growth. They reach out all the time and they're like, Thank you so much for everything you do. So we're able to see that, and that's very different than, you know, let's mail a check. So I think our philanthropy definitely, you know, helps in that way too. But yeah, I think truly like-minded people just end up in the same groups. So you the first one you call sisterhood.

SPEAKER_04:

And so what does that look like?

SPEAKER_03:

Well, sisterhood, we just really talk about our sisterhood. And you get 15 minutes to talk about us and see your personality with us and get to know us a little bit. And usually it's like, what's your major? How old are you?

SPEAKER_04:

So it's a chance to get to know each other. Do you also though talk with the prospects about what you all are like t with each other, or is that just something they kind of note and see in the group?

SPEAKER_03:

Aaron Ross Powell I feel like it goes both ways. We of course show them a bunch of pictures and activities we get to do and all the bonding activities, but then you're also just getting to know them as well.

SPEAKER_04:

And then the second session is you talk about the philanthropy, huh? That's a heavy duty one.

SPEAKER_02:

And I think that's one of their biggest like prides of being Alpha Omegas is that you know, nationwide we all support domestic violence awareness, but every chapter will work with their local shelter work. Wherever they're at, they'll pick a local institution to help out. So I think it's a conversation that a lot of members maybe might have not known beforehand, but coming in and seeing that and being able to make so much impact when you're just hanging out with your friends, you know. Casino night is a fun event that you get to bring your family in and you know, gather money and you get to play blackjack and Texas Hold'em, but really you're changing someone's life. They don't realize the impact that they're making until they sit back and look at like, oh my gosh, we did that, like we were able to raise this much money. Because we don't make any profit off of any philanthropy event. We send everything directly over. So it's it's great to see that they've been able to build that community bond and help out Tyler itself.

SPEAKER_04:

So that's the kind of experience that you said has made you really feel as though with the sorority you've really gotten something more out of this life here. That's so neat. And did the other two sororities have a philanthropy similar to this?

SPEAKER_03:

Zeta Tel Alpha, theirs is breast cancer research awareness and then Delta Gamma is service for sight.

SPEAKER_04:

So now I notice you call it recruitment, not rush. Is rush a bad word?

SPEAKER_02:

It's not a bad word. I think it just doesn't accurately place what we're doing. You know, so when you say rush, recruitment is more what you're going through.

SPEAKER_04:

It's a kind of a more serious term, isn't it? You're recruiting to a life together and a project together. I know we don't have a Greek house yet or a a an Alpha Chi Omega house, but are you able to live close to each other? Are you all mostly on campus?

SPEAKER_03:

Most of us are on campus. If we didn't get housing, I mean I didn't get housing and I live across the street with one of my sisters, Zoe, and most of us live together because we're together most of the time.

SPEAKER_04:

So there is some of that sense of living together communal life, okay. So how many will uh be recruited and how many will agree to become part of your group?

SPEAKER_03:

It really just depends on how big the number of girls that are wanting to join. We call them potential new members, sign up for recruitment. This recruitment we almost hit a hundred. How do they know to come to your group? Most of the time it's social media or we'll do our own work and reach out to students that we see on Instagram posting their UT Tyler announcement, and we'll be like, hey, have you ever thought about Greek life?

SPEAKER_04:

And it's all the same week. So everybody's doing it. The buzz is out there. Do you decide who gets in or do they decide?

SPEAKER_02:

So recruitment is a mutual selection process. Through Panalytic, they do what's called a quota and they have chapter totals. So the goal is for all the chapters to stay in similar sizes. Because if we don't, then there would be one mega chapter and everyone is trying to catch up. The quota this year was set at 26. So that's how many new members we each got. The quota is based on how many women went through recruitment and how big are the chapters currently. So it looks like through this recruitment, everyone could get 26 women and be in similar sizes. So that's what we went with.

SPEAKER_04:

So of the hundred who went through this process, a little over 75 will get in.

SPEAKER_02:

And like I said, it's a mutual selection process. So the potential new members every night they'll go in and rank the chapters that they want in what order they like them. And then the chapter members themselves or every authority will also submit a list saying this is who we like. And then there's a different specialist at another school that has no affiliation to us or any of the authorities on campus. She'll do the matching and then we will receive list the next morning that tell us who is returning to visit with us then next day.

SPEAKER_04:

But now the women that are potential recruits, do they know that they've been ranked or do they know how they've been ranked? Or is that private?

SPEAKER_02:

No, they don't know how they've been ranked. They are notified if they are cut from the recruitment process. They will receive a call that morning to let them know. Unfortunately, they have been released from the recruitment process. I will say at UD Tyler that it's very rare for that to happen. So that's great to see that most women are able to be placed. Some people choose to withdraw from the recruitment process. Sometimes, you know, they find out the financial part and they're like, that's not something I could do. Well, and that was the next question. Tell us about the financial part because it is not cheap.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes. For new members coming in, it is a lot more because we're giving them a lot more. So we're giving them everything they need to succeed in the chapter. So that will start at$1,050 as a new member in that first semester. Once you are initiated, the next semester it goes down to$650. So it cuts almost in half.

SPEAKER_04:

So if my math is right, the first year, if you're a new member, you're going to pay$1,700 for a year. Then after that, it's$6.50 a semester. So it's$1,300 a year. Now, I think you said, Michelle, that this money is then spread out to be used by the various officers.

SPEAKER_02:

Correct. So some of this event will be sisterhood events. There's a big sisterhood retreat they have every semester, formals, which is, you know, a second prom. They have two of those big events a year. This is how they fund the philanthropy events that we host. They get t-shirts. Sometimes they'll cater dinner. If there's a little leftover budget, they'll be like, hey, let's get everyone a sticker. There's photo shoots that happen, so those are all funded through that. But yeah, all the money that is given by the members is split up amongst all those VPs so everyone can host different events. So it's all given right back to them.

SPEAKER_04:

So now Elizabeth, I think you told me that this is your second year as a president. Tell us what's it like to be the president of a sorority and what is the benefit for you and what is your sort of vision for the group that you are leading, these strong women that you're leading.

SPEAKER_03:

As president, I feel like I've just learned a lot of personal lessons. I've had to have a like a lot of difficult conversations.

SPEAKER_02:

I think behavior and character tends to be the hardest one for Elizabeth. Just because obviously, as an advisor, again, I'm older than them, so I understand that maybe I think differently than you know they do. But social media will be an issue sometimes of like, hey, this is kind of inappropriate, or like, hey, I know you're not of age, and I see that you're at a place where you might need to be of age. So let's make sure no one is breaking any laws. Or, you know, just sometimes like, hey, you're not as active anymore, like, are you okay? So yeah, Elizabeth is sometimes in a in a pickle because there are friends at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_04:

Well, of course they are. Elizabeth, I want to give you some support on that because as a professor watching the students over the years, you know, a lot of times students get away from home and they don't have people to remind them that there's certain sort of lanes of proper behavior. And there's sometimes when I just want to say, somebody's got to remind them what their mother or their auntie or their grandmother would have told them about because they just get kind of wild and loose. And those things don't reflect well on the woman herself. It's a matter of personal growth. There are times when I look at some of my students when I want to say, you know, you could dress a little more appropriately for school. You know, school is a little bit like a job, or you know, your language is a little too crude. Or several of my students, I've seen them email people and say, Hey, you know, in an email that's not very professional and just little things like that. Is that within the purview of the president? Do you have to kind of help them along the way with that? Absolutely. Well, I want to tell you I'm glad. If we're really talking about sisterhood or big sisterhood in the case of you, Michelle, I think it's wonderful that you all kind of have their back in that way. And so it may be hard for you, but please know that I think a whole lot of people would thank you for that. So w what else besides these difficult conversations that have helped you to grow?

SPEAKER_03:

I feel like I've just had a lot of people push me to do better in all aspects. Because you're the president. Yes, like academics and having tough conversations and making sure I get all the service hours that I need and like reaching out to the community and talking to Dr. Philly, the president of the university. It does give you these opportunities, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_04:

What about the other officers? Do they have similar opportunities, Michelle?

SPEAKER_02:

Every year our headquarters request for certain members to be sent to headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. So Elizabeth has represented the UT Tyler chapter at headquarters multiple times. There's a couple of vice presidents that get sent along with her. Every vice president has an advisor to them, which is an alumni volunteer, to help them build leadership and they are also able to connect with anyone on campus. Again, our VP Philanthropy works very closely with East Texas Crisis Center. Our VP ID will work closely with, you know, career success or tutoring. I know we've had them come in before. So even like our risk management will have the police department come in to teach, you know, like alcohol awareness classes right before spring break or self-defense classes. So they get their position and they can run with it. So they're able to do as much contact as they want. But yeah, we always tell everyone like you are always wearing alpha guy omega letters. So just keep that in mind. You represent not just yourself, but the whole organization and the all the alumna that come before you too.

SPEAKER_04:

That makes me feel real good about this group. Is there anything else we haven't covered that you think we'd like the folks to know about you all?

SPEAKER_02:

I feel like Greek life really depends on the campus that you're at. For example, I would have never joined a sorority had I not been at the school I was at. You know, I came into college saying a sorority gross, I would never do that. And then I met women and they all happen to be Alpha Omegas, and I was like, okay, cool, interesting. Maybe it's not what I thought it was. So I will say, like, is there bad culture at other schools? Maybe. But at UT Tyler, all the sororities have done a great job at creating a really open and accessible, I guess, environment that they haven't, you know, excluded anyone. The culture of the Greek life will really depend per campus. Again, UT Tyler being not that small of a campus anymore, but them being a chapter of 67 women, they all know each other. They'll see each other on campus, they'll see each other in classes, they know each other's majors, so they're able to say, like, hey, did you take this class before me? They passed down textbooks, professor recommendations, everything. So I think it that helps a lot that they all know each other. One of my friends was at a big chapter at a big school, and she lived in the Swarty house, and she was like, I walk around the house and I don't recognize the people that are in the house. It's that big. Yeah. She was like, I don't recognize some of the people that like live with me. So it's great to see that tight-knit connection because we are a smaller chapter in a smaller school. I think as Alpha Kai Omega is like the goal is always to build a real strong woman, right? And to have you leave the chapter and you're ready to, you know, see the world and take on the world. So we're always, how can we help you be a better student? How can we help you be a better person? How can we help you? And again, they do all this growth within the chapter that they're not even aware of. They're just having fun, you know, and it's like, oh, they just managed a hundred thousand dollars in a budget and spread that out as underclassmen. You know, by the time that they've graduated, RV finance can say that she's managed over$100,000. RVP philanthropy can say she raises over$10,000 a semester for philanthropy. So it's amazing what they get to do. Again, Elizabeth is humble, but her and I sit in two meetings a week. So that's at least what, two, four hours for us after school. Not to include that some days we will literally wake up texting each other and go to bed texting each other. But she is great. She's my backbone for all this. And I think it says a lot too that alumna come back and volunteer. And you know, we give back to this experience because we had such a great time as collegiate Alpha Chi members. Well, you have a great time being the advisor now, don't you? Absolutely. It's it's a lot. But again, it's great to see that if I'm able to help them have a great experience, that's what I'm here for.

SPEAKER_01:

Just as our final note, let's say somebody's listened to the episode, they're coming to UT Tyler and they're interested in joining a sorority. Where do they go to find that first opening? Is there an application or would you come to an on-campus event?

SPEAKER_03:

I feel like you could go to pretty much anything. You can go on to Patriots Engage, you can text us on Instagram, you can meet us in class and reach out, and we'll find the opportunity and give it to you to join our chapter. For formal recruitment in the fall, usually it's an application. We do a COB process in the spring. Continuous open bidding. And that one is not as intense, not all the social media and rush, TikTok. It's a great opportunity for girls who think formal recruitment is overwhelming, so they can come in and do the COB process.

SPEAKER_02:

They can also contact the Greek office on campus of student engagement, Robert Smith, he's the Greek life director. So they can contact him. And honestly, I feel like Instagram is a big one. So if they find the UT Tyler Panalenic Instagram, that works, or the UTTAXO Instagram, that one would work as well. Awesome.

SPEAKER_01:

And if anybody happens to have a question about sorority live or a question that we could direct towards Michelle or Elizabeth, you can leave a comment under the YouTube video, or you can always email us at adrquestions at gmail.com. We're very happy to hear from you and help you get ready for college.

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Catherine Ross

Host
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Ashley Worley

Co-host