In 1922, seven black women came together to create a haven for women, particularly black women, to pursue their goals and give back to their community. Thus began the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, one of the Divine Nine (D9) historically-black Greek life organizations. It now includes over 100,000 members and 500 chapters. One story in this illustrious tale is the Pi Chi Chapter, the chapter native to Ursinus that is going stronger than ever since its revival in November 2022.
The Pi Chi Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated has events planned for the semester, ranging from enjoyable activities for all to service projects in the community. With its five members, two new, they explore the sense of community belonging together.
The Pi Chi Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho, colloquially known as the Poodles, plan events every semester for themselves and the community; this is especially true during February for Black History Month. Among the activities held for the community are jewelry making, Family Feud, a Valentine’s Day bake sale, and a game night. For Black History Month, they also plan to read to students in the Perkiomen Valley School District and host a streaming of “The Six Triple Eight,” a movie about
a WWII battalion consisting solely of black women.
These events are a part of their larger goal to seek a sense of sisterhood between the Poodles. This sisterhood attracted their two newest members, Deanna Missouri ‘27 and Kyra ‘Kee’ Norman ‘25. “I wanted to join because I wanted to surround myself with better people,” Norman stated. “I was a little timid about joining because I knew it was a big commitment and responsibility. But I eventually got around to talking to the Poodles more, and they made me feel comfortable.”
Missouri shared similar sentiments, explaining, “I’ve always been surrounded by them, like my mentor. Destiny [Miller ‘25]…I’m really finding myself with a beautiful group of women who care for each other and not just each other but people in general. That’s why our motto is Greater Service, Greater Progress. Because we are always seeking to help others, I feel like I belong. That’s why I joined.”
Currently, there are five members of the Pi Chi Chapter’s executive board: the aforementioned Destiny Miller ‘25 is the Basileus (their equivalent of a President), Bella Dolan ‘25 is the Anti-Basileus (Vice-President), Madison Smith ‘26 is the Grammateus and Anti Grammateus (Secretary), Kyra Norman ’25 is the Tamiochus (Treasurer), and Deanna Missouri ’27 is the Epistoleus (Historian and Social Media Manager). When asked about her favorite event thus far, Smith quickly answered: “My favorite that I put on as a poodle is our new Member presentation. Seeing our two new initiatives, Deanna and Kyra, grow into their positions, enter the sorority, and have a full-circle moment was big because I was a part of that.”
Dolan’s favorite moments come from the service aspect of the sorority, particularly with the recent Manna on Main food drive. She stated, “Witnessing everyone’s generosity towards the end of the year during all the holidays and seeing the food in the box grow day by day was rewarding, and to have donated at the end and for it to total up 96 pounds is nothing that I expected, and I’m grateful.”
As the current Basileus, Miller takes pride in leading this group of women. She stated: “Being Basileus is an honor when I have such a lovely group of women to work with…everyone else steps in and supports where they can. I’m really grateful for that. Being Basileus and spreading our name and what we stand for on campus means a lot and makes me proud. These women aren’t just a part of a sorority to me; I look at them as family. They’re overachievers; they push me to do better every day and vice versa.”
After Black History Month, the Poodles have more plans for Women’s History Month. Until then, they encourage everyone to follow their Instagram page at @pichi_poodles.