When it comes to expansion, you sometimes never know how things will turn out. Many times either the sorority or the group of interested women will encounter some things that they did not expect. In this case, it is fair to say that most of these surprises were on our side. Since 2007, there has been a core group of ladies at MSU who were looking to establish a sorority. However this was easier said than done on a campus that had no established Greek Life in place. So this group contacted Delta Gamma Pi with a desire to affiliate with a national sorority. They were driven, organized and positive. But they were also nestled away in the hills of Appalachia and students at a small school. Would a multicultural sorority “work” there?

Three national board members (Rishona, Marilena & Rolanda) made the drive down to Beckley, WV. Within a few minutes of our arrival, all of the colony was there and prepared. We soon learned that there was so much more behind the Facebook profiles, the names on applications and paperwork, and even the phone calls and chats. Some were university cheerleaders, Homecoming queens, or RAs. Some had grown up in rural areas in WV, but several were from out of state (with one from NY and one from NJ). MSU has reached out to international students and while none of the ladies were international themselves, quite a few are either dating or very close friends with international students.

But most importantly, we got the sense that these 10 women were some of the best leaders on campus. They are well liked by the school administration and are full of new ideas. And they did not flinch or hesitate at the idea of being founders 3 times over; #1 – founders of a new chapter of Delta Gamma Pi, #2 – founders of the first sorority at Mountain State University, and #3 – founders of the first multicultural sorority in the state of West Virginia!

However 3 years ago, we did not have [in widespread use] the virtual communication tools that we do now. Back then, we were not on Facebook, nor did we have a Twitter account. The notion of having a blog also was never considered. However all of these tools give the ability to communicate more frequently and about a wider variety of subjects. They also offer some insight into the community and people that make up and host Delta Gamma Pi.

As a modern sorority that embraces progress, it is only fitting to try to utilize these tools to our benefit. We encourage all, and not only sisters, to offer feedback in regards to what you would like to hear more about; your connection to the sorority; and finally how you think we are doing in general. We would also like to network with other organizations and companies who may be interested in working along with us (but no sales or marketers please).

If you are interested in contributing, please send an email to nationals@deltagammapi.org. You must either be a sister of Delta Gamma Pi or otherwise affiliated with the sorority in order to submit a post.