The segment on Delta Gamma ran early Thursday morning alongside the stories of sorority members from Syracuse University and the University of Louisville.
Kaitlin Hatton was driving around Athens looking for her next photo assignment when she noticed three voicemails on her cell phone.
Two were from her friend and fellow Delta Gamma sorority sister, Elizabeth Harris, a senior studying strategic communication and political science.
The other was from The Today Show in New York City.
About two weeks ago, Hatton, a junior studying commercial photography, and her sorority sisters posted a photo series, called “Defying Stereotypes,” to their Facebook page.
The series, which aimed to portray sorority women in a positive light separate from harsh stereotypes, quickly gained popularity and was covered by The Post on Jan. 20.
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Soon after, Hatton and Harris received calls from other media outlets including Mashable, Buzzfeed and Cosmopolitan.
“We had no idea it would reach this far,” Harris, who came up with the idea for the project, said. “We’ve had people from across the country contact us, from sorority members to sorority alumnae, who have shared with us how they resonate with the campaign and thanking us for getting this message out there.”
The Today Show previously wrote an article about the series, but the Delta Gamma sisters were told a camera crew would be on their way to Athens early Wednesday, giving them only a few hours to spread the word and prepare.
“They said they wanted to interview us again and I said ‘Oh, another phone interview?’ and they said, ‘No, a live, in-person interview' and I was in shock,” Harris said.
Since being posted, the series of 24 photographs has been shared on Facebook more than 13,000 times and liked nearly 7,000 times.
Hatton, who photographed the series, says the majority of the feedback they have received has been positive.
“The fact that we’ve hit The Today Show and everything, it’s just so heartwarming to know that we could have made that impact,” she said.
The segment on OU's Delta Gamma ran Thursday morning during a segment about a Syracuse University student who posted a video online following her decision to quit her sorority because of what she described as a cruel culture.
The Delta Gamma photo series is featured at the 1:28 mark and is used as a contrast to the Syracuse student's opinion about sorority culture.
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