When Anna Boyd, Eva Webb, and Mary Confort couldn’t go home for Christmas, they stayed together at the Lewis School for girls in Oxford, Mississippi. The year was 1873 and together they founded a mutual helpfulness group that was later named “Delta Gamma Fraternity”.
Since then, Delta Gamma has grown into one of the most recognized fraternities across America, with more than 145 chapters both nationally and internationally. This fall, Delta Gamma Fraternity joined the leagues of Drexel Panhellenic. On Sunday, January 10 the fraternity was officially installed and new members were initiated and are now part of the founding sisters class. I am proud to say that I am part of this.
When I first heard of Delta Gamma coming to Drexel, I was extremely hesitant. I went through recruitment last year, and after long nights of stress and small talk with people that were the complete opposite of me, I realized that Greek life was not for me. Blame it on my Venezuelan culture, my sass, or my love for staying in binge watching Netflix, but I ruled out anything that had to do with that lifestyle.
Then, I started hanging with people who belonged to a house. I actually became super close with some of the girls in the sorority I was almost a part of, and I started thinking about the ‘what if’ scenarios had I decided to stay in the Greek community. My friends kept telling me about this new sorority that was coming to campus, and I did some thorough research. I learned about the philanthropy and foundation, the mission of the fraternity, and the notable alumnae (*hint hint, Cheetah Girls’ Sabrina Bryan and the CEO and co-founder of Her Campus Stephanie Kaplan are on the list*).
Part of me wanted to join Delta Gamma, but another part of me kept telling me I shouldn’t. As I mentioned before, I come from a completely different culture and am often too sarcastic and ironic. I definitely don’t fit the description of a stereotypical sorority girl. I decided to give it a shot anyways and wait to make a final decision until a couple of weeks after accepting my bid.
I went to the events and I met some amazing girls that are now more than just sorority sisters to me. I learned more about who we are as a top-notch organization and the perks of being surrounded by people who are so similar to you, yet so different. I can say that I found my best friends here, a group of girls that love me and support me no matter what, and that I can give my unconditional love to.
I also learned what it means to be a founding sister. I was scared of joining a sorority that had no foundation and no traditions. I was scared it was not going to succeed. We created committees to make sure each aspect of the sorority was covered and that we were all involved. We all approved the laws, traditions, and ideals of our chapter. We established our Chapter Management Team and its directors that will help make Delta Gamma be the best it can be.
We got initiated as any other new member, but we also had the opportunity to officially install our sorority. I am proud to call myself an official sister of Delta Gamma Fraternity, and can’t wait to continue to make new friends and memories.