A year after becoming a recognized group, one sorority is working hard to increase its membership by adding a new option for students interested in greek life.

Theta Nu Xi, one of three multicultural greek-letter organizations, began their first fall rush this semester in hopes to attract more students to their newly formed multicultural sisterhood.

‘This is the first time we had to do this,’ said Sasha Porter, a junior fashion design major who holds a number of offices in Theta Nu Xi, including vice president. ‘It’s a learning process.’

The sorority currently consists of three members, one of whom is studying abroad this semester. This leaves the existing members to take on several offices, Porter said, and the burden of expanding membership.

‘There’s only two of us now,’ said Kristena Witherspoon, a junior fashion design major and the sorority’s president, among other duties. ‘Right now we’re focusing on expanding our membership and getting our name out there.’

The organization hoped to run more programs as a sorority this semester, but decided to focus primarily on recruitment as it faces their first intake process.

‘It’s still hard trying to gain numbers,’ Porter said. ‘I hope years from now it will grow.’

The sorority was officially established in November 2003 after a group of students

worked for two years to create an organization that would include students from all different backgrounds, Witherspoon said.

When Dana Ciccone, the adviser and founder of the SU chapter, decided to propose the sorority to the university, she faced challenges from meeting chapter requirements to keeping founding members interested, Witherspoon said.

Theta Nu Xi had trouble trying to meet standards between Office of Greek Life and Experiential Learning and the national sorority because the policies conflicted at times, Porter said.

‘It was difficult because there (were) a lot of rules,’ Porter said.

The founding sisters had to undergo an expansion policy before they expanded at SU, said Alex Miller, assistant director of the OGLEL.

In addition, Theta Nu Xi is under a two-year colony process where they are considered a student group, but not a full-fledged greek organization.

‘It’s a growing period,’ Miller said.

Miller said Theta Xi Nu strives for diversity, having their core values founded at multiculturalism.

‘They bring about a different group of fraternities and sororities that aren’t typically here (at SU),’ Miller said.

Porter said she is not worried about getting new members because the sorority was formed in order to offer opportunities to people such as herself who want to be surrounded by a diverse group of people.

Although the sorority has done little so far besides recruitment, Witherspoon said that the organization will come together in time.

‘One thing I realized is that you can’t rush things,’ Witherspoon said.

Published on November 1, 2004 at 12:00 pm