Due to COVID-19, Delta Psi Omega declared the fall of 2020 at Southern Utah University to be a ‘sistership semester.’ Instead of initiating new members the sorority will focus on developing the bond among existing sisters.
Sororities like Delta Psi are made up of young women who identify as metaphorical sisters and have an executive council within. This council does the majority of decision making.
During the summer, Delta Psi lost many members due to the lack of social interaction because of COVID-19 restrictions.
When the semester began, Delta Psi president Tina Wall felt an overwhelming responsibility to tackle her position and rebuild the sistership. She has felt a strong bond with previous sisters and is trying to bring back that feeling for existing members.
Wall joined the sistership her freshman year, in the spring of 2018. She mentioned that if the organization were as inclusive as it was in the past, it might have not lost so many members recently
“Delta Psi became a home away from home in a really hard time for me. I was losing a lot of people in my life, I was overwhelmed with schoolwork, and it was just too much for my mental health,” Wall said. “I felt so much love when I first joined this sisterhood, and my goal is to bring that back.”
In order to build a dedicated and loving sistership, Wall has convinced alumni and executive councils to allow the chapter to take a sistership semester.
This period of time is meant for rebuilding, bonding and strengthening the active chapter in Delta Psi. It is rare and only happens when the active chapter and alumni council deem it necessary.
Wall felt that the coronavirus, despite how inconvenient it was, also brought an opportunity to strengthen the organization. The active chapter is holding bonding activities for members throughout the semester.
“I graduate this spring, and I want to leave knowing that my sorority is in a good place, and that I left it better than I found it. We’re in a much better place than where we were a few months ago,” said Wall.
Although Delta Psi participated in rush week, it is the only Greek life organization that is not initiating new potential members this semester.
The organization did give out bids to girls who rushed this fall. However, these bids are meant for the initiation process that will take place in the spring.
Until then, Delta Psi will be inviting these girls to their Thursday night activities so they can gain insight on what being an active member is like.
“I’m excited to see what our new [executive council] is capable of, and what the chapter will bring to the table after this sistership semester. I know the struggle will have been worth sticking out for these amazing women,” Wall concluded.
Story by: University Journal Staff
life@suunews.net
Photo courtesy of: Southern Utah Univeristy
