The Delta chapter of Delta Sigma Theta presented five new members to campus on Sunday.

Generally after interests become members, the chapters host a show to show the new members to campus. In these presentations, new members show off their knowledge of the organization’s history, greet other organizations represented in National Pan-Hellenic Council  and the Multicultural Greek Council, and stroll and step. Strolling, or “Party Walking,” is a form of line dancing that uses specific movements varying between each organization, hand symbols, and calls to express pride for your organization. Stepping is a collective of synchronized movements, slapping of the body, and stomping.

Delta Sigma Theta, or the Deltas, is a part of the Council that is the governing body for the nine historically black fraternities and sororities, also known as the Divine Nine. The Divine Nine consists of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, and Iota Phi Theta fraternity.

Seven of the nine organizations are represented at Iowa — the two missing are Sigma Gamma Rho, which formerly had a chapter at Iowa, and Iota Phi Theta, which has never chartered a chapter at Iowa. The National Pan-Hellenic Council at the UI has a rich history having the first chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha chartered in Iowa, the first chapter of any organization chartered west of the Mississippi river (Gamma Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi), which is also the third chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, and the first chapter of Delta Sigma Theta to have a chapter house.

— by Joshua Housing