Delta Sigma Theta celebrates 40 years on campus

Over 140 previous and current members of Stanford Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. celebrated the fortieth anniversary of the sorority Sunday morning at Encina Corridor over a brunch for Black girls. 

The occasion — which drew almost 100 Black undergraduate girls, together with these unaffiliated with the sorority — featured speeches from outstanding alumni, reminiscing about their time at Stanford and celebrating the sorority’s dedication to sisterhood and public service on and off campus. 

“The truth that we’re 40 years and nonetheless happening is a testomony to fortitude,” mentioned Stephanie Leslie ’84, the primary president of the native chapter of the sorority, Omicron Chi. 

The story of the Deltas at Stanford begins with Patricia “Patti” Titus ’81, now a superior courtroom decide in Los Angeles County. Titus joined a San Francisco Space chapter of the sorority, Epsilon Nu, as an undergrad as a result of Stanford didn’t have a chapter on the time. Then an Ujamaa RA, Titus started speaking to residents about beginning one. 

Bringing a Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. chapter to campus was an extended course of, mentioned Titus. The College administration and the sorority’s nationwide group had completely different requirements for what pupil group autonomy ought to appear like, and neither was prepared to surrender its guidelines. 

Stanford’s philosophy was “despite the fact that you’re part of a nationwide group, you need to nonetheless be autonomous, and Delta’s nationwide group was having nothing to do with that,” Titus mentioned. 

“Stanford wouldn’t acknowledge us, however we needed to do one thing so we may make an affect in the area people,” mentioned Margaret-Ann Laing Reed ’84, a previous member of the sorority.

The 12 authentic constitution members established a city-wide chapter, Omicron Chi, which additionally included college students from Santa Clara College and Faculty of Notre Dame (now Notre Dame de Namur College) in 1983. Nonetheless, they wanted College recognition to function and host occasions on campus as a chapter of  Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

“Us as Black girls, we needed [Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.], and we weren’t simply prepared to provide in,” mentioned Patricia Haley Glass ’84. “If we needed to go constitution a chapter, drive throughout the Bay to pledge to be part of that group, get a chapter that solely had partial privileges on campus, if we now have to go elsewhere to do it, we did that.”

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was formally acknowledged by the College in March 1985 as a Stanford-specific chapter with all of the rights of a campus Greek group and a college chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

40 years later, 130 alumnae girls reconvened with present members of the sorority to have a good time the sorority’s legacy on campus. 

In a speech, actress and producer Ryan Michelle Bathé ’98 recounted the ups and downs of her profession and the way her sands — the ladies who pledged the identical yr as her — have supported her all through her life. 

“I’ve all these intersecting identities, and the core of that’s sisterhood for me,” Bathé mentioned. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve talked many occasions with my sands [about] how way more full our lives are due to each other.” 

Stacey Dixon ’93, the Biden administration’s principal deputy director of nationwide intelligence, spoke about how the sorority supplied an area household for her in faculty when she may solely talk along with her household again dwelling in Washington over landlines and letters. 

One other alumna, Cheryl Grey Evans ’90, a lawyer and former state senator and state consultant from Louisiana, spoke about how each older and youthful Omicron Chi members encourage her “to see what she might be.” The previous chapter president mirrored on the time she spent on campus and the way serving the Stanford group translated to her work as a public servant. 

“40 years and we’re simply getting began,” mentioned Yvette Birner, one of many chapter’s advisors. 

Within the years following the pandemic, Black sororities and fraternities have made a comeback on campus. Final yr, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. returned to Stanford on a provisional foundation, that means the fraternities have conditional recognition after a interval of being inactive. 

“It’s been thrilling seeing so many new chapters come again to the yard,” mentioned Religion Ajanaku ’25, the present treasurer of the sorority, who organized the occasion.