K-State’s greek community will see a new addition this spring. Sigma Sigma Sigma (Tri Sigma), originally founded at K-State in 1982, will recolonize after leaving campus in the 1990’s due to membership decline.
Tri Sigma will be the fourth addition to the greek community in the last year, joining three fraternities. According to Brianna Hayes, assistant director for Greek Affairs, the growing amount of women going through formal recruitment and continuous open bidding caused the organization to open up to new and re-establishing chapters.
“We’ve seen a lot more people going through recruitment and wanting to join houses, and while houses have gotten larger, we also felt like it would be a good idea to expand the community,” Hayes said.
Currently, sororities are required to maintain at least 165 members.
“We are always looking for a good community to grow Tri Sigma,” Brittany Parrott, Tri Sigma Extension Coordinator said. “Especially at K-State, we want to provide a home for women who may not have originally thought about going through recruitment or provide a home for women who might not have found a home else where.”
To help with Tri Sigma’s recolonization, established chapters will not be allowed to recruit until the beginning of March.
“Just to kind of even the playing field, all 12 chapters have signed an agreement saying that they will wait to recruit,” Hayes said.
Tri Sigma’s recruitment will feature a formalized week at the beginning of February after they have spent a couple of weeks on campus.
“We’ll have an orientation night where we’ll explain what it means to be a colony sister. Then we’ll have a service project, and we’re looking into organizations in Manhattan that are in line with our ideals and philanthropy,” Parrott said, “We’ll then have personal meetings that potential members can sign up for to talk to a Tri Sigma representative and really get to know what we’re about. Then we’ll have sisterhood night, which is similar to preference night of regular recruitment and a little more serious.”
Tri Sigma will then take part in formal recruitment the following fall with the other 12 established chapters. They will be required to purchase a house sometime in the near future, though a location has yet to be determined. Other members of the greek community are optimistic about Tri Sigma’s re-colonization.
“It’s great to see Tri Sigma be re-established and be a part of the K-State greek community again. They will help us grow and become even stronger,” said Allison Dorr, junior in hospitality management and member of Alpha Chi Omega.
Tri Sigma hopes to be a positive contribution to the greek community as well.
“I hope we don’t change the community as much as I hope we add to it,” Parrott said. “We want to continue to bring women into sorority life and this community.”
