New women’s fraternity chapter to begin on campus

The enormous 10 pink ribbons spread across campus Thursday were not only there to promote breast cancer awareness; they also signify that Zeta Tau Alpha has arrived on campus.

Consultants from the Zeta Tau Alpha fraternity for women's national organization handed out more than 700 pink ribbons, candy and cookies in support of breast cancer awareness in Bosco Student Plaza. The group, with the help of Willie the Wildcat, also had people fill out paper ribbons with names of loved ones who had or have breast cancer.

Sharon Binford, traveling leadership consultant for Zeta Tau Alpha, said the group was celebrating "Think Pink, Think Zeta" week as a way to introduce the sorority's philanthropy to campus.

"We just want to spread awareness about breast cancer in any way we can," Binford said. "Early detection is the best protection."

Binford said the group has been on campus for the last two weeks to promote K-State's newest sorority on campus.

"So the past couple of weeks, we've been doing some PR about our organization and this week was about our philanthropy," said Kat Lopez, national consultant for Zeta Tau Alpha. "We wanted to bring that to K-State a little bit."

Lopez said she cannot count the number of people she and the other consultants have talked to about their organization.

"We've been talking to everybody, kind of: girls, guys, staff members, workers in the Union, just kind of everybody we could talk to,"

Binford and Lopez said next week will mark the formal recruitment process, culminating with the announcement of new members for the K-State chapter on Bid Day next Thursday.

"Bid Day is when we will celebrate who will be creating this new chapter for Zeta Tau Alpha at Kansas State," Binford said.

Binford said at Bid Day, all the new members get to know each other for the first time, though she has no estimate currently of how many students that will be. She also said the numbers will reflect the interest level on campus, but hopes to see them close to other sorority chapters.

"We are obviously wanting to start off with a strong chapter and comparable to the other sororities at Kansas State," Binford said.

Both Lopez and Binford said they have enjoyed their time at K-State since arriving.

"The greek community here has just been phenomenal, just outrageously welcoming throughout the past couple weeks and leading up to our bid day," Lopez said.