Sigma Gamma Rho sorority introduces new members

By Kristian Dudgeon

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Upbeat music, adrenaline fueled stepping, mighty chants, balloons and Greek jackets of royal blue and gold all filled the Student Center Grand Ballroom at the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Spring 2014 Probate held to introduce the newest members of UK’s Mu Omicron chapter on Tuesday night.

This new line, which is comprised of five women, symbolized the return of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. to UK. With their return, UK is now home to all the organizations in the Divine Nine (the name used to refer to the nine fraternities and sororities in the National Panhellenic Council).

Excited family members and friends joined curious peers and members of the other eight NPHC Greek letter organizations to make a crowd of more than 400 people anxiously waiting to witness the “crossing” of the members.

The five masked initiates marched in through the back of the room, each with her arms tucked through those of the woman in front of her, proudly chanting about their organization.

Their prophytes (members who are already in the sorority) followed closely, as the spectators in the ballroom fell silent. The crowd responded with applause and excited cheers as the line of five took their place as the center of attention in the front of the room.

After greeting each organization of the Divine Nine, singing songs to greet their sorority sisters and performing snippets of fraternity steps, the new members of Sigma Gamma Rho were unmasked and officially introduced as the line to be known as “Fifth Element.”

Kendra Logan, the line’s “deuce,” or second person, expressed her positive feelings about seeing Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. return to UK.

“It feels really good because it adds to the atmosphere of campus,” Logan said.

The SGRho’s are often seen as underdogs in the Divine Nine, Logan said.

“When you’re an underdog, that just means that you have to go even harder,” she said. “I think we proved that tonight. We went hard and we can prove ourselves.”