Story by Taylor Inman, Staff writer
There was only one place in Murray last Friday night where you could find everyone dressed to the nine’s: Zeta Phi Beta’s Blue and White Ball, which was held for the first time in three years.
No one was simply wearing their Sunday best – the ballroom was littered with full-length evening gowns and three piece suits. With plans already for next year’s ball, Zeta Phi Beta President Chelsea Tyler is working to bring back the ball from her freshman year for the sorority she loves so dearly.
“People don’t really have a chance to get dressed and look nice, so why not have a ball where people can come out and do that?” Tyler said. “We’re trying to make it an annual thing again.”
Being the only sorority in the Pan-Hellenic Council that puts on a formal event, Zeta Phi Beta wants to keep the ball up for the sorority they are all so proud of.
“Honestly, when I was rushing, Zeta just stood out to me. You have everyone come together and everyone is so different and unique,” Tyler said. “But once we work together we get everything done. So it’s good that they’re different from other sororities on campus.”
While the ball wasn’t for philanthropy, Tiana Watkins, treasurer of Zeta Phi Beta, Tiana Watkins, said there is an upcoming philanthropic event that is very important to the Zetas.
“We have our Finer Womanhood Week coming up in the beginning of March,” Watkins said. “It’s one of our principles. We do community service and express what ‘Finer Womanhood’ means to us.”
Tyler said the entire community is welcome to attend their Finer Womanhood week and participate in their activities. Proud of her role as president, Tyler said Zeta Phi Beta pushes her to be a better person.
“It showed me I have a leadership role. I used to be the person in the background cheering everyone else on, but they put me in this role and said ‘you can do this,’” Tyler said. “They really push you to help you succeed in life and they’re really humble here.”
Watkins said that you can know someone and not know they’re in Zeta Phi Beta because of how humble they really can be.
“I’ve been friends with people and then later find out they are in Zeta Phi Beta,” Watkins said. “They don’t show off like some people do; they don’t wear their letters every day or do stuff like that.”
And with that humility, Tyler said Zeta Phi Beta has helped her not only evolve as a student, but as a person as well.
“I can tell how much I’ve grown since my freshman year,” Tyler said. “I’m growing into a woman, a finer woman at that.”
Correction: This article previously included a headshot of a student who was incorrectly identified as Tyler. The News regrets the error.