5 minute read
Symphonies of Sisterhood
HOW MEMBERS OF THE IOTA SIGMA CHAPTER ARE CONTINUING ALPHA CHI OMEGA’S MUSICAL LEGACY OF TODAY
BY C. JOHNSON (IOTA SIGMA, SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY)
Southern Methodist University hosts the Iota Sigma chapter of Alpha Chi Omega, founded in 1994 and made up of a tight-knit group of sisters. Fun fact: this chapter founded the signature philanthropy event Alpha Chi Couture in 2009 and remains proud of its tradition of helping domestic violence victims through this heavily attended annual fashion show. But the sisters of the Iota Sigma chapter also continue the musical traditions of their Founders and make sure to let their campus community know it.
The Belle Tones – a fitting name for an all-female a capella group at a liberal arts university in the South – boasts four SMU Alpha Chi Omegas on its roster; the group is affectionately known as simply “The Belles” by the campus community. Bree Slay and Annabel Firestone from MC ’21 are the most senior singers in the musical organization, and Julia Petsche and Julianna Lu from MC ’23 are newer members who found a bond in the Belle Tones before joining Alpha Chi this past January at the close of recruitment.
Southern Methodist University hosts a variety of clubs for students to join in addition to its Greek chapters, but only five members of Belle Tones are involved in sororities – and four of them are Alpha Chis. Even though these four Belles have different voice parts in their a capella arrangements that require them to rehearse an array of different melodies, their bond is still strong.
The Iota Sigma representation in Belle Tones is especially sweet to sisters who know that Alpha Chi was originally founded as a music fraternity, though none of the current Belles knew this before joining!
What drew these Alpha Chis to join Belle Tones? All four sisters joined for different reasons that echoed their desire to eventually join Greek life as well.
For Bree and Annabel, joining an a capella group during the pandemic’s stay-at-home order was interesting to say the least.
“That fall, freshman year, I auditioned through Zoom, and Bree and I auditioned at the same time,” Annabel says. “We didn’t know each other, but later down the line we both ended up running home to Alpha Chi.”
“I knew I liked music, and I was in choir in high school, so I wanted to be a part of something music-related but not something super serious – something for fun,” Bree says. She adds that there are “two types of bonds” in Alpha Chi and Belle Tones; both are equally fulfilling, and she wouldn’t want one without the other.
United in their bonds – both sisterhood and song –these Belle Tones claim the support from their sisters at performances is truly music to their ears. It’s this kind of sisterhood that sets the chapter apart both on campus and beyond.
Julianna joined both Belle Tones and Alpha Chi last year as a freshman, and Bree and Annabel showed her how to strike the right notes on the lyre of life. Freshman year can be terrifying for any new college student, and they made sure Julianna had no reason to fear.
“Belle Tones gave me a set of friends I could find within Alpha Chi when I joined the sorority,” explains Julianna. “It’s nice having those girls that I knew before guide me through that new chapter of my life.”
Bree says meeting Julianna was equally as fulfilling for her, as she never expected Julianna to be interested in joining Alpha Chi. Julianna also admits she wasn’t planning on joining a sorority before meeting the two older members in Belle Tones.
“I learned more about [Alpha Chi] after talking with them. That’s what really pushed me to want to rush,” Julianna says.
Julia has a unique story. Joining MC ’23 as a junior, she explains, was surreal, but long overdue. She says, “Joining Alpha Chi after meeting other Alpha Chis in Belles just made it all the better.”
The bonds she has made with others in her member class, such as Julianna, also encouraged her to make the most out of her senior year in college and her first year in a sorority. “Having Juliana with me in the same member class is really nice,” Julia says. “We’re really able to bond with our sisters from Belle Tones and Alpha Chi.”
The four women have leadership roles in both Alpha Chi as well as the Belle Tones, and all four are in the chapter’s Lyre Choir. It seems these sisters shine brightest when banded together belting notes.
Bree serves as Iota Sigma’s song chair, while Julia and Julianna hope to assume more roles in Alpha Chi as they enjoy their first year of being active members. In Belle Tones, Julianna is already active as the group’s assistant choreographer.
Whether it’s belting ballads with sisters in the car after a long day of classes or crooning tunes with fellow Belles onstage, these four Alpha Chis definitely have the beat. Together, they are a perfect example of why sisterhood is the sweetest when sung with those you love.
SMU’s Belle Tones will be releasing an album of covers this fall. To find out more about the SMU Iota Sigma chapter and the Belle Tones, check them out on Instagram @SMUAlphaChi and @SMUBelleTones.
