UTM is home to a full formal season, complete with out-of-town trips, riverboat rides, themes and more. Each spring, students excitedly ask dates to join them and prepare for a night to remember.
UTM has a very active Greek life. However, Greeks are not the only organizations to participate in the annual formal season.
Alpha Delta Pi hosts their Black Diamond formal every spring. It is called Black Diamond after the black diamond shaped badge every ADPi wears over her heart. Black Diamond is important to the chapter because it is the end of year celebration that gives every sister a chance to relax and enjoy time together.
Each year, the chapter crowns a “King of Diamonds,” which is awarded to a gentleman who has helped and supported the chapter throughout the year. Morgan Williams, a senior Social Work major and current president of the ADPi chapter, expresses her love of Black Diamond.
“Black Diamond is especially important to our chapter and others around the United States because we are celebrating the end of the school year and our accomplishments throughout the year,” Williams said.
Alpha Omicron Pi hosts an annual formal called Red Rose. Each member wears white dresses, with the exception of the current chapter president, who wears red. Lauren Conley, a senior Elementary Education, K-6, says the formal’s name is a mixture of a couple things.
“Our fraternity flower is the jacqueminot rose and our color is cardinal, so that’s how we get the name,” Conley said.
Gamma Kappa Pi hosts a winter formal every year called the Amaranthos Ball. Lizzy Virtue, a senior Social Work major and current president, says she believes the formal offers the sisters with a bonding experience from beginning to end.
“It provides us with a bonding experience from its planning and execution, to the dress shopping and getting ready together. The significance of this event is not only in pretty dresses, but in the celebration of new and old members alike. Formal is the first event that recently initiated sisters get to experience as a full member. It is a time to rejoice in our sorority’s growth and transformation throughout the years,” Virtue said.
Zeta Tau Alpha hosts a semi-formal and a formal every year with one in each semester. Since the re-colonization of the chapter in Martin, they have made a point to have a winter formal every year. Although the winter formal used to be called White Violet after the sorority’s flower, in the past couple years, it has been named according to whichever theme it has that year.
This year, ZTA’s winter formal was themed “Dancing in the Moonlight.” Shelby Whitt, a senior Public Relations major says the formal offers a chance for sisters to spend time with each other.
“It’s special to me because of the time I get to spend with everyone. For winter formal, I did hair and makeup in my kitchen for like 7 hours before. I love doing things like that and it was a time for me to spend with sisters I don’t get to see a lot from busy schedules and different events,” Whitt said.
Sigma Alpha hosts a formal every year called Emerald Ball. Emerald is one of Sigma Alpha’s two colors. This year was the first time it has been themed, with the theme “Fishin’ in the Dark.” Shelby Bingham, a sophomore Nursing major who is currently the vice president of Sigma Alpha says formal provides for relaxation after much work dedicated to classed throughout the school year.
“It’s important to our chapter because it provides a night where everyone can come together for a night of fun after working hard both fall and spring semester. It is also important to our chapter because some Sigma Alpha chapters don’t hold one,” Bingham said.
Chi Omega hosts an annual formal called White Carnation. The name comes from the fraternity’s flower. Jessica Stone, a senior Business Management major says her sisters and her enjoy White Carnation because it provides a place for everyone to get together and enjoy their sisterhood.
“It’s so special because it’s a time for us all to get together, get dressed up and dance the night away,” Stone said.
Sigma Alpha Iota’s annual formal has a different theme each year. The theme is decided by the current social chair. This year, the theme is Great Gatsby. Alex Jacobi, a senior Communications major who is the Co-Editor of the chapter, says SAI’s formal is important to her because the group is still tight-knit regardless of size.
“Our formal is special to me, because even though it might be smaller than other Greek formals, it is a tight-knit group coming together to have a good time with one another,” Jacobi said.
The sororities look forward to formals all year, but they are not the only ones. The fraternities also host annual formals that are highly anticipated.
Alpha Gamma Rho hosts an annual formal called Pink Rose, named after their flower. This year, Pink Rose was held on a Memphis river boat. Clint Murby, a junior Ag-Engineering Technology major who is currently AGR’s Vice Noble Ruler-Membership Development says the brotherhood makes their formal so special.
“It is important to us because it only happens once a year, and it is always memorable because of the brotherhood we have with each other,” Murby said.
Kappa Alpha Order annually hosts their Convivium. Chase Manley, a senior English major, says their formal is more than just a night for brothers to get together.
“Our formal is a celebration in honor of Robert E. Lee’s birthday and his position as a spiritual founder of Kappa Alpha Order. We give a toast with water to his honor,” Manley said.
Pi Kappa Alpha host a formal annually called Fireman’s Ball. This is named after their mascot, the Dalmatian, which has always been an emblem in American history of the dog associated with firefighting. Skylar Cherry, a senior Political Science major, says Fireman’s Ball is so important because despite the varying schedules of the brothers, they make it a point to get together.
“Each one of us has our own problems and issues outside of the Pike House, so it can be a task for every brother to be at the same place at the same time. We make it a point of emphasis each year to pick out that one day we can all come together as one, a day without any drama or pressure from ‘rules’ we have to abide by on our campus,” said Cherry.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon hosts their True Gentleman Social every year. Historically, SAEs would bring their dates violets and serenade them with the fraternal song, “Violets.” Chase Cartmell, a senior Communications major, says their formal is one that every SAE chapter holds.
“Nationally, our fraternity has held this formal since the early 1900s. Every chapter holds it. Our chapter does it every year because it is an opportunity to come together as brothers at the end of every spring semester and get away from the grind of the semester,” Cartmell said.
Sigma Chi hosts their White Rose formal annually. The white rose is the official flower of Sigma Chi. Matt Borden, a senior Broadcasting major, says what his last White Rose meant to him.
“My last White Rose was truly the best. Getting to be with my brothers, and the girls one last time before graduation was a blessing,” said Borden
Sigma Phi Epsilon hosts The Golden Heart Formal in honor of the highest level of recognition in Sigma Phi Epsilon – the Order of the Golden Heart. Mark Maloney, Jr., a senior double majoring in Communications and Political Science is currently the chaplain for Sigma Phi Epsilon and the IFC president.
“To me, formals are a key part of Greek Life as a means of celebrating our organizations and all they mean to us. They are also a unique opportunity to share a part of our Greek experience with our significant others, which really means the world to me,” Maloney said.
Phi Sigma Kappa hosts their Red Carnation formal annually. The red carnation was Phi Sigma Kappa’s only flower until they merged with Phi Sigma Epsilon years ago and gained the white tea rose as well. Dezie Gude, a freshman Criminal Justice major who is currently serving as Inductor for the chapter gives his view on the importance of their formal.
“The Red Carnation formal gives the brothers a chance to relax at the end of the year after putting in so much work to better the fraternity,” Gude said.
Other organizations are joining in on the formals scene. UTM Housing and the UTM Honors program both decided to host formals this year.
The Honors Formal previously was just for University Scholars, but this year it was decided to expand the formal to be open to all Scholars and Honors members. Sean O’Brien, a sophomore Cell and Molecular Biology major and social chair of the University Scholars says the changes experienced this year were well-received.
“This year it was changed to an honors formal in the ballroom with food, music and decorations. People brought dates and I think they liked it a whole lot more,” said O’Brien.
UTM Housing decided to host the first Housing formal this year. After polling residents and resident assistants, it was decided that a formal would be the best choice for a campus-wide program. The formal is meant to show appreciation to the residents as well as the staff members. Lindee McCurley, Community Leader in University Village, Phase I says the idea was to make formals available to students who may otherwise not be able to attend a formal event.
“We wanted to give those who are not part of other organizations who usually hold formals the chance to attend an event of this type that they would miss out on otherwise,” said McCurley.
Springtime brings with it the chance to dress up and celebrate the end of another school year. Each formal season comes with more pictures, stories and chances to live the college dream.
