Almost 100 spectators were in attendance on Sunday, Nov. 19, as members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporation held a probate to introduce its newest members for the 2017 fall line. The probate began at 7:08 p.m., which is a reference to the sorority’s founding year (1908) in military time, in Emory Gymnasium.
Alumni members wore their pink and green gear in correlation to the sorority’s theme, and friends and family members held pink and green balloons. The chapter featured 10 ladies who came out, arms locked, wearing long green skirts, black tops and masks covering their faces.
The ceremony lasted about an hour and included a recitation of the Sorority’s history, such as the fact that the Alpha Kappa Alpha was the first Greek-lettered sorority established by African-American college women, as well as an introduction of each lady and mini routines. The identities of the members were revealed towards the very end and the audience finally got to see the newest members of the sorority.
The probate was exciting for the new sorors and the audience alike. Janiya Blake, a sophomore, noted that students are not allowed to reveal that they are pledging so the events are always offer surprises.
“I always like to attend fraternities and sororities probates,” Blake said. “It’s exciting when you see a fellow classmate pledge and you had no idea.”
After the ladies riled the crowd with their performance and grace they headed off to their plots in the quadrangle as official members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.