Alpha Tau Chapter inducted at University of North Carolina

It was a big weekend in Chapel Hill, and not just because college basketball season has officially tipped off. On November 5th, 2022, Alpha Tau Chapter of Omega Phi Alpha was inducted into lifetime membership at the University of North Carolina, with 32 eager and willing founding members. Alumni from across the country came to celebrate the weekend, with sisters from Raleigh to Oregon making the trek. The ceremony was led by National President Brittany Thornton (Alpha Kappa) and Expansions Director Summer Ray (Alpha Pi).

Friday night was focused on reunions and food, with group dinners at some of the new chapter’s Franklin St. favorites: Spicy 9 and Que Chula. For many of the prospective new members, this was the first chance to meet their bigs and national leaders who they had spent nearly a year talking to! The night ended at Maple View Farm ice cream, the perfect way to kick off the weekend. 

Saturday morning, UNC’s founding president Kiernan Almand led a round of introductions for the new members and alumni, along with service co-director and historian Sydney Odom, who shared a slideshow of their nine-month expansion process.

In the spirit of sisterhood, the group split to visit the Carolina Basketball Museum and the Ackland Art Museum, stopping at iconic campus locations along the way for anecdotes and selfies. This was followed by lunch, with the most popular spot being SupDogs by a landslide. 

With a morning of socializing and exploring complete, service directors Sara Joly and Sydney Odom led the service project “Bags to Beds”which emphasized the need to reuse plastic, in this case, as a weaving material for hand-woven bed mats for homeless shelters. 

After a quick break and a much-needed coffee run, the night began at the North Carolina Botanical Garden with the long-awaited induction ceremony. The group received various gifts from generous alumni and the national team to supercharge their start as a new chapter. The evening continued with superlatives, speeches, and catering from Sassool – some incredible local Lebanese and Mediterranean food.

The weekend was jam-packed with love, friendship, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be a member of Omega Phi Alpha. What a fantastic way to celebrate the founding members and their accomplishments.

Congratulations to the new lifetime members of Omega Phi Alpha and founders of Alpha Tau Chapter at UNC:

• Natalie King

• Nicole Pistani

• Paige Evans

• Peyton Morris

• Sara Joly

• Savannah Adams

• Sophia Hayes

• Star Trivette

• Sydney Odom

• Trisha Rathod

Want to get in contact with the newly established chapter? Email Chapter President Kiernan Almand at [email protected].