A new sorority Sigma Delta Tau (SDT) is set to become an official chapter at Kent State next month.

This fall semester, SDT participated in fall PanHellenic recruitment orientation nights, where they shared their own separate presentations about what they have to offer women at Kent State.

“We want to share our message, and then we will drop out of the formal recruitment process and hold our own special recruitment after PanHellenic Bid Day on Sept. 25,” said Taylor Zeigler, lead national sorority leadership consultant and SDT member.

SDT held an event earlier this semester called Cupcakes with Consultants, which was a meet-and-greet for female students to see what SDT has to offer. The recruitment process ran from Sept. 27- Oct. 9.

“For me, I liked the philanthropies that SDT does, and I liked that it was a new sorority,” said Courtney Suder, SDT president and a junior political science major. “I did not want to go through formal recruitment, and I stopped by one day and I talked to the national consultants, and I just fell in love with them and … the organization as a whole.”

SDT has obtained many new members this semester, but Suder said at this time, the group is not at liberty to discuss how many exactly.

“I already had friends, but I just wanted to get to know a bunch of new people and I thought it would make me feel more connected,” said Michelle Jurman, a sophomore fashion merchandising major and new member of SDT.

The sorority will go through another informal recruitment in the spring and will be participating in formal recruitment come fall 2017.

Getting SDT to come to campus was a long process. The PanHellenic community determines if it wants to add another sorority to the community and once that is decided, it opens up the application process for sororities to apply.

SDT received its invitation to present at Kent State in June 2015. Since then the sorority has done presentations, interviews, meetings and planning to bring the sorority to campus.

Beth Gruber, extension chairman and a past national president of SDT, said Kent State has been on SDT’s wish list for many years.

“SDT looks to colonize new chapters at the best colleges and universities,” Gruber said. “We look for campuses with high academic achievers, diverse student populations, service minded individuals and whose values align with (SDT). We knew that we had something unique to bring to this campus community.”

After a semester as a colony, Suder said she believes they have done very well thus far and is appreciative of how open other members of Greek life have been toward them.

“We’ve been a part of many philanthropy events, so we’ve inserted ourselves into the Greek life and other sororities and fraternities have gotten to know us,” Suder said. “We have taken the steps to insert ourselves in Greek life … (and the Greek community) at Kent State have opened their arms to us and have been very gracious with welcoming us to this campus.”

Although there is not another SDT chapter in Ohio, they have found support from Kent student organizations, the Kent community as a whole and the strong SDT alumni base in Ohio.

Dennis Campbell, assistant director for fraternity and sorority life in the Center for Student Involvement, said he thinks it is great SDT has come to campus and it means Kent State’s community is growing.

“It means more women on this campus are interested in joining sororities, and they are more interested in going through a system that causes women empowerment, and that is fantastic,” Campbell said. “Women’s organizations are women’s empowerment, and so the more we have, the better in my opinion.”

Members of SDT at Kent State emphasize how grateful they are and how they are looking forward to what the future has to offer.

“We’re just really excited to be on Kent State’s campus,” Suder said. “We are overwhelmed with the graciousness of the entirety of the Greek life here … it has been a wonderful ride.”

To register for recruitment or for more information, visit www.sigmadeltatau.org, www.facebook.com/SDTatKentState, or email [email protected].

Brittney Prather is the Greek life reporter, contact her at [email protected].