CW + 1956 Collab Edition

James was able to recall two times
she felt left out on campus. In 2018
the advertising department of the
school’s newspaper, The Crimson
White, made a graphic insert of
all the houses on sorority row. The
graphic included the sorority’s
name, the date the house was
founded and the house’s nickname.
The only sorority not mentioned in
the graphic was Theta Sigma and
ironically, the graphic was in pink
and green which are the official
colors of Alpha Kappa Alpha.
The other situation was by way
of a TikTok posted by a member
of a white fraternity. In the video,
members wished sorority sisters
goodnight, but left out Alpha
Kappa Alpha.
“It’s not like we’re crying about it,
but it just shows you how other
people, other students view us,”
James said. “Sometimes it’s like
we’re not there.”
According to an article written
by Alecia Sherard in a 1986 issue
of The Crimson White, a memo
by Chi Omega’s president, Betsy
Griffin, was sent to six sororities
to examine how Theta Sigma
receiving a house would “disrupt
the lives of the members of these
sororities.” Fast forward 34 years
later and there’s hope for Theta
Sigma and Chi Omega to mend
their relationship.
That member’s name is Caitlyn
McTier. In 2016, McTier joined Chi
Omega with hopes of diversifying
the Panhellenic Association at the
University of Alabama.
“I have always been someone that
has been up to a challenge and
that I never really saw being in
white Greek life as something
that I can be complacent in, but I
saw the opportunity to break up
a really white space and to really
help diversify people that have
never really been put outside their
comfort zone” McTier said.
While McTier came from a family of
Divine Nine members, she wanted
to break barriers and make a
statement for the Black community
at Alabama. Although McTier feels
included within her sorority, she
still gets backlash.
“I felt like there were so many
negative things that I got from the
Black community – even my mom
and my family,” McTier said. “Of
course they were proud of me and
my decision, but I come from
a family of Deltas, and
they wanted
me to
continue that legacy.”
Even though her decision felt
right, McTier had to deal with
many obstacles not only from white
people but also from Black peers
questioning her “Blackness.”
“It took until the end of my
sophomore year and junior year
to prove to them that I was Black
enough,” she said. “I think it
was hard to have so many Black
people question if I was cultured
enough or if I knew the struggles
of Black people.”
McTier is now a senior and is
proud to be a part of Chi Omega.
She hopes that she left her mark
at The Capstone.
“I’ve had to make sacrifices for
the greater good,” she said. “And
even if people haven’t respected
that route, I know that I did
the right thing.”
James stated how a Black member
of Chi Omega has recently reached
out to her with intent to better
the two sororities’ rapport. James
believes the member of Chi Omega
being a Black woman played a
part in her willingness to issue an
apology on behalf of her sorority
and celebrate the accomplishments
of the house next door.
CW / Hannah Saad
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