Kappa Alpha Theta, marking its official return to the Homewood Campus, concluded the first portion of its recruitment process on Tuesday with a “Bid Day” for its JHU Zeta Chi chapter. The slogan for the campaign to recruit new members is “Think Theta.”
The original Zeta Chi chapter of Theta was installed at Hopkins in April of 1997. 12 years later, in 2009, the University revoked Theta’s charter following a series of disciplinary violations. At the time, a number of former Theta members created an unofficial society called IX, which has persisted despite the lack of formal University recognition or approval.
The question of how IX and Theta will interact, or whether the two groups will reconcile, remains at large in Greek Life and in the greater University community.
Nevertheless, the official Theta sorority is back on campus, and 45 members of the next Theta class are in place. The sorority is also planning to hold a second “Bid Day” in the near future to recruit even more new members.
Sophomore Rachel McCoy, a new Theta member, is looking forward to the challenges and opportunities of the first year.
“All the girls that I’ve met are really great and all excited to be in Theta,” McCoy wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “I’m looking forward to future sisterhood events and getting to know all of these amazing women.”
When asked about her commitment to Theta, McCoy said she particularly appreciated Theta’s partnership with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) as part of the sorority’s philanthropy. The sorority also has an overall reputation for a devotion to the community and to diversity.
“I love the fact that their philanthropy is CASA because my dad is a child protection attorney for the state of New Hampshire and interacts with CASAs,” McCoy wrote. “From this, I know how important they are in the legal system, but they are often very underfunded because of budget cuts, and every dollar Theta raises for them is incredibly important to making sure children have a voice in the legal system.”
Not only do the new members of the Theta class seem excited for their start at Hopkins, but also many others students, like sophomore Avi Posen, are expressing their enthusiasm as well.
“I am very excited about having one more additional sorority on campus,” Posen said. “It will be interesting to see how [the Theta class] will form relationships with the current fraternities and sororities on campus.”
Sophomore Henry Bernstein believes the new Theta class will enhance the Greek social life at Hopkins.
“Another Greek organization means new people entering a social scene I am very involved in,” Bernstein said. “It will be a great experience getting to meet these new members of the Theta class.”
Members of Zeta Chi chapter’s underground offshoot branch, the IX Society, also showed some interest in what the new Theta class will bring to Hopkins.
“Greek organizations at Hopkins are extremely diverse, and each fraternity and sorority seems to have a firmly established presence unique to their chapter,” IX senior Rosa Acheson said. “I think the incoming Theta class will provide Hopkins with something that we don’t already have, a group of new interests, ideas and traditions that you won’t find elsewhere in Hopkins Greek life.”
Sophomore Celena Wasserstrom expressed similar thoughts about the new Theta class.
“It is going to be nice to have a new social group in the Greek life that does not yet have a stereotype,” Wasserstrom said. “[Theta’s] addition to Hopkins will definitely add to the diversity of the Greek life.”
