Alpha Chi Omega: "Real. Strong. Women."

SOPHIE GOURLEY ’19
SENIOR EDITOR
 
With Sorority and Fraternity Recruitment fast approaching, The Trinity Tripod sat down with Brooke LePage ’19, Chapter President of Alpha Chi Omega (AXO), to learn more about Trinity’s newest sorority and about what she wants potential new members to keep in mind while rushing next week.
 
Trinity’s Chapter of AXO originally began when two friends, Kenzie Levy ’18 and Taylor Galland ’18 decided to put their dream of bringing a new sorority option to the College into action during the Fall of 2016. At the time, they called themselves “The Order of the Elms,” and with the permission of Kathryn Wojck, Director of Campus Life Initiatives and Social Houses, the girls were able to participate in the Spring 2017 recruitment week to gain more members in the hopes of being recognized nationally.
 
Alpha Chi Omega also has chapters at Quinnipiac University and University of Connecticut and after doing research on Trinity and meeting the prospective sororities, they decided “The Order of the Elms” would be a great fit. During the Fall 2017 semester, “The Order” transformed into AXO. Next week will mark the second formal recruitment period for this nationally recognized organization.
 
Alpha Chi Omega’s national tagline is “Real. Strong. Women.” and they are looking for just that. “We’d love for women who share the same ideals and values as us to join,” LePage explained. AXO’s national philanthropic cause is domestic violence awareness, and Trinity’s chapter does their part in supporting healthy relationships and creating awareness surrounding sexual assault and harassment. They do so by supporting different events on campus like “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” and “Take Back the Night,” and organizing their own such as an ice cream truck event, “Swirls for the Girls” which raised over $500 for domestic violence awareness.
 
LePage adds, “We are looking for girls who are kind, confident and show leadership potential.” Last year, AXO had the highest sorority GPA, and they hope to continue this achievement during this academic year as well. Additionally, members of AXO are involved with many other academic and extracurricular organizations on campus as well.
 
The AXO executive board is already in the process of planning fun events for their sorority do throughout the semester. “We also hope to increase our collaborative efforts with other female organizations on campus, particularly with the Women & Gender Resource Action Center (WGRAC),” LePage explained. AXO is currently organizing a self-defense class along with Venture, Stella and WGRAC to be put on later in the semester.
 
Lastly, we asked LePage to share any advice she had for girls planning on going through the recruitment process. “Be yourself. I know it sounds cliché, but you don’t want to pick a sorority based on who you wish you were but based on where you’ll feel most comfortable and most supported. I think I can speak for all of AXO when I say we are unbelievably excited to meet everyone next week!”