The sorority Delta Gamma is being established at Cal Poly and invited 180 women to join the chapter Feb. 4. Cal Poly greek life invited the chapter, among others, to join campus to reduce sorority chapter sizes, according to Delta Gamma consultant Helen Fite.
In Fall 2017, 1,141 women registered for recruitment, about 200 more than in 2016, according to the Fraternity and Sorority Life Office.
Fite spoke to the university about forming the chapter, which was added to accommodate the increased demand in greek life.
Delta Gamma was founded 1873 by three women at The Lewis School for Girls in Oxford, Mississippi. The sororities letters DG also represent their mission to “Do Good.” Today there are more than 245,000 members across 150 campuses in the United States and Canada.
Two Delta Gamma consultants spent several weeks in Julian A. McPhee University Union, recruiting new members and sharing information about Delta Gamma.
“We are looking for women who want to be leaders,” Fite said. “And Cal Poly seems to have a very empowered, intelligent student body we believe that could step up to that challenge. We also really enjoy the diversity of majors and the academic rigor that this campus has.”
The recruitment process was much faster than the fall recruitment process. For students like biology junior Kendall Norberg, this came as a relief. Norberg said she’s excited to join Delta Gamma because her mother was involved in the sorority.
“My mom was very involved with Delta Gamma in her college, and after college,” Norberg said. “Her sisters still talk today. It’s cool to see that they’re still connected after college.”
Construction management junior Erica Zetterquist is one of the 180 women invited to join the new chapter.
“I thought it would be kind of cool to start a chapter and influence that. I am part of Cal Poly dance marathon and we brought that last year and it’s been really cool to bring something to campus.” Zetterquist said.
The next few weeks will be used to establish Delta Gamma’s sisterhood, with meetings and events focusing on the women’s bonding.
“I hope to get a sisterhood out of the sorority,” Zetterquist said. “Being from construction management, I am around guys a lot of the time. It’s also another tie to being on campus and I think being part of the philanthropy will be a lot of fun.”
The chapter will establish their local community service partner while fundraising and participating in the larger Delta Gamma philanthropy Service for Sight, which provides aid to the visually impaired.
Correction: A previous version of this article did not include that Delta Gamma was among other sororities asked to join campus by Cal Poly greek life.