Trine sorority earns national charter

National council bestows honor

 

A national collegiate charter was awarded to the Trine University Epsilon Kappa chapter of Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority by members of the sorority’s national council on Sept. 26.

The installation ritual was performed on Saturday morning in Best Hall, with members, officers, and alumnae initiates participating. A banquet and formal induction ceremony and celebration took place on Saturday evening at the university’s Witmer Clubhouse for the newly initiated members, their families and guests, university representatives, members of the national council and other national and collegiate sorority representatives. 

A chapter was established on the Trine campus in 2007, and the founding members have been completing requirements toward their eventual installation as a national chapter since that time. Founding members initiated were Nicole (Dixon) Wiley, Megan Lentz, Stephanie Jones, Dessa Hershberger, Samantha Hartmann, Allison Coe, Stephanie Kaiser, Melissa McConnell, Rachel Detlev, Mary Myers, Hope Glor, Anna Rodenbeck and Katie Schelinski. Diane Wallinger is their faculty adviser.

Alpha Sigma Tau was founded in 1899 by a group of women to promote the ethical, cultural and social development of its members. Its purpose is to develop scholars, philanthropists, leaders and sisters among its collegiate and alumnae members. Alpha Sigma Tau provides members with opportunities to give back to the nation and their local communities through Habitat for Humanity, Pine Mountain Settlement School, and local charities. Each year its members provide over $1 million in donations and volunteer work, contributing nearly 60,000 service hours.  Alpha Sigma Tau also provides its members with scholarship opportunities through the Alpha Sigma Tau National Foundation, which provides over 30 scholarships each year.

“After receiving our charter, I feel so proud of all the girls who have worked so hard to make it happen, said Trine chapter president Alison Coe. “Some of us have been on this journey for a year and a half, and last weekend we were able to see the fruits of our labor. It was a joyous occasion celebrated with friends, family, and some of our national staff; it turned out to be a night we won’t soon forget.” 

 Members worked to form a cohesive group, Coe said. “The biggest challenge of getting a chapter off the ground is trying to bring a kaleidoscope of personalities together to make a cohesive organization that can function at a high level worthy of chapter status. We all have different personalities, yet have similar values in wanting to become better leaders, scholars, philanthropists and sisters,” she said.

 
The time and place were perfect for the chapter. “Trine University is a great place for a sorority because there is so much room for growth,” Coe said. “With the female population on campus increasing, there is no limit to the number of girls we will be able to get to know and perhaps invite to join our organization. It's a wonderful opportunity for Trine women to be able to join a group that has over 110 years of history, and a national organization to back them 100 percent every step of their undergrad experience.”