After becoming too small to sustain themselves, women’s social clubs OEGE and Omega Lambda Chi opted to merge with Zeta Pi Zeta (ZPZ) and Chi Kappa Rho, respectively, in an effort to preserve their younger members’ opportunities to participate in club activities.
OEGE’s president senior Nicole Watts first approached Dean of Student Life Kara Abston on Oct. 13 in a meeting with all of the small club leaders and asked for help because OEGE had become too small to sustain itself. Abston offered the opportunity to absorb OEGE to all of the small women’s clubs, and Omega Lambda Chi followed suit soon afterward.
ZPZ and Chi Kappa Rho held special meetings to vote on whether or not to absorb the smaller clubs, and both agreed to extend the offer.
ZPZ president senior Carly Quibodeaux said she and her fellow members felt called to help out and the decision was unanimous.
“When we were in our meeting making the decision, even with concerns, there was an overall positive attitude about the move and the focus was on making the decision we knew God would want,” Quibodeaux said. “One of our members made a comment about how we are adopted by God as his children and because of that, how could we even really consider turning away these club members when they were asking for help and we had the opportunity to, in a sense, adopt them?”
Watts said that she and her fellow club members felt disappointed to see their own club disappear, but they are appreciative of the help they received from ZPZ.
“We are the same girls, just in new colors and with new people,” Watts said. “I personally am sad to see the club that I joined three years ago no longer a club, but I am extremely excited to get to know this new group and get to be involved with them and make a new sisterhood.”
ZPZ and Chi Kappa Rho both decided to welcome the new women in as full members rather than requiring them to participate in club week activities. New members of the smaller clubs will be inducted with the other new ZPZ and Chi Kappa Rho induction classes. The clubs also gave current beaux and sponsors the opportunity to maintain their positions, but under a new club name.
“We let them know that if they wanted to stay on as beaux and sponsors they were more than welcome to,” Quibodeaux said. “We didn’t think it would be fair to the beaux to strip them of that honor.”
Former OEGE beau Truett Keener said in light of the circumstances, the clubs are both making the best of the situation.
“This transition came unexpectedly to me and I am sad to see OEGE discontinue, but as a beau I am excited to see that the OEGE sisters are able to continue club activities with the Christ-centered ladies of ZPZ,” Keener said. “It is still difficult for the OEGE members to see the OEGE activities discontinued, but I think they realize this merge was the best decision for the club’s future. ZPZ has been very welcoming and embracing in this transition, which is making it go a lot smoother.”
Chi Kappa Rho member junior Geneva Brock said her club has attempted to go the extra mile to embrace its new sisters by making them door signs and nametags and inducting them with a candlelight ceremony. Brock said that the two clubs were already close, so the merge is going smoothly.
“We’ve lived together, done Spring Sing together and we did Relay for Life together last year, so there was already something of a bond,” Brock said.
Chi Kappa Rho member junior Catherine Wallers said she is excited to gain new friendships.
“It is a little extra work, but it is worth it to provide a home to these godly women,” Wallers said. “We are focusing mainly on the club week changes for the moment, but when things calm down after this storm of a week we will consider changes to constitution and traditions that they would like to carry on.”
