By Marta Vallejo, Staff Writer
Last week, Xavier introduced three new Greek Life groups coming to campus this fall: Tri Delta Sorority, Beta Theta Pi Fraternity and Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.
While each organization brings its own history and identity, all three share a common emphasis on values-based leadership, community building and student development.
Tri Delta Sorority makes its way as the first National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) organization to establish a chapter at Xavier. Founded by Sarah Ida Shaw in 1888, Tri Delta is the second largest organization in the NPC with more than 23,000 members and 137 collegiate chapters across the United States and Canada and more than 230,000 alumni members in 205 alumni chapters around the world.
“Tri Delta’s values are truth, self-sacrifice and friendship, and we saw the opportunity to establish a chapter here at Xavier,” Vice President of Membership Growth Brandy Lane Darrow said. “We realized that the mission of your university and what your students are already focused on is exactly what we believe in. So, we’re thrilled to get to come and help students just build on those values and that mission as members of Tri Delta.”
Tri Delta has historically held itself as an assembly of women who are brave, bold and kind. “We want to create more spaces for women to belong and feel really steadfast love and support from Tri Delta. I think we can provide outstanding leadership opportunities that don’t exist in this way here,” Darrow said.
Beta Theta Pi was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. For nearly two centuries, they have grown to 140 campuses, nearly 11,000 undergraduate members and 140,000 living alumni. Values important to them include mutual assistance, intellectual growth, trust, responsible conduct and integrity.
“The connection with our values and Xavier’s values is really important. I think we have a really strong alignment between the host institution and what we can bring to the campus,” Chief Operating Officer John Reineke said.
This year, Beta Theta Pi fraternity and growth team will have a dedicated staff member on campus to focus on building strong relationships with students, faculty and staff.
“It’s easy for students to be isolated and to go through their campus experience without developing a strong community,” Reineke said. “We can bring a brotherhood that is dedicated to helping men find similar men with a similar value set to hopefully form a strong brotherhood and relationship with one another that they can carry beyond their time at Xavier.”
Xavier announces the return and creation of new fraternities and sororities.
Phi Delta Theta fraternity was also founded in Oxford, Ohio, in 1848. They have 300,000 initiates and 194 chapters. They were founded on the principles of friendship, sound learning and moral rectitude.
“Through the opportunity for Xavier students to join a Phi Delta Theta chapter, they’ll be able to have a values-based experience that will help them become leaders, philanthropists, and also be able to build relationships that will serve them, their careers, and their lives,” Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President Sean Wagner said.
Phi Delta Theta was the first fraternity to expand west of the Mississippi and also the first fraternity to focus on health and safety above social activity, with the largest organization to have alcohol-free housing.
“Our hope is that our chapter gives Xavier an opportunity to show another aspect of student life in terms of leadership, and we’ll be able to offer a multifaceted experience,” Wagner said.
A lot of Xavier students are excited over the new organizations coming this fall.
“I am super excited Xavier is expanding our already founded Greek life system and opening up the doors to incorporate more in the fraternity side. I’m excited to see pushing between majors. I’m a biomedical sciences major, but I live with a lot of business majors,” sophomore biomedical sciences major Colin Guyler said. “Through that, I’ve learned a lot of connecting with different perspectives and meeting different sides of Xavier. It’s been a great experience and I’m excited to see what’s to come.”