A new sorority on campus defies convention

Within three weeks, the colony of Delta Phi Epsilon (DPhiE) at UB has already racked up enough girls to nearly double the average number of members in a sorority. They want the rest of UB to know that they are not your "average sorority."
At 52 members, DPhiE is becoming known on campus for its diversity and academic prowess.
Created in 1917 at New York University's Law School, DPhiE was the only sorority to be founded at a professional school. The founders were five Jewish women that were not allowed into existing sororities because of their religion.
This sorority is not exclusive to just New York State; it has over 100 chapters throughout the Unites States and Canada. The colony "Sigma" at UB is DPhiE's 150th colony.
Michelle Sears, a product merchandiser with Emedco and adviser to the new colony, said, "I've been a sister for almost 10 years, and I'm so thrilled to help this chapter get established at UB. Being a sister of DPhiE has been one of the best experiences of my life. I've made my best friends within the organization and have had so many opportunities that I would never have had without it."
There are three philanthropies that the group supports: The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, The National Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, and the Delta Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation.
In addition to being involved with these groups, the members of DPhiE can also be found doing community service together.
"One of our sisters is going to put on a Haiti relief fashion show," said Hyelim Park, a junior nursing major and member at large. "We support individuals who decide to do great things like this. Even though we just started, we support each other. That's what a sorority is for."
What makes DPhiE different from other sororities, however, is not that it helps others, but that it is a group of diverse and smart women.
"We are a group of girls who are really up in our academics, but at the same time, we can balance that and have a good time with each other," Park said.
Cara Nassar, president of the new group, said, "When I came to UB as a freshman, I was originally against Greek life … I later realized that there was more to Greek life than just partying."
Although there are already many sororities on campus, DPhiE appears to attract a group of women that no others do.
"I really wanted to start something new because I didn't feel that I fit into any of the groups that already existed on campus. I immediately stepped up when DPhiE came to campus, thinking it would be a great opportunity for girls that didn't feel like they fit into other groups like this," Nassar said.
DPhiE has the Latin motto "Esse Quam Videri," which means, "To be rather than to seem."
"We are founded on being unique and being yourself, and we really do try to put a focus on that. We are all very different people, but we can still come together and have a lot of fun," Nassar said.
The enthusiasm that the girls in DPhiE have is well placed. They are surrounding themselves with independent and intelligent women, and they are proud to call themselves members.
They do not even feel the need to always push for new members.
"I don't feel the need to go out of the way to convince people to join our group … I want them to want to join because they feel like they fit in and have similar likes and dislikes," Nassar said.
DPhiE is filling a space in Greek life because it accounts for students who have more difficult majors and need to put more time toward studying.
DPhiE also glorifies the diversity that exists naturally in many communities.
The members feel that this is something very fitting for a school like UB, where diversity abounds.
"It would be great to be part of a sorority that also has diversity. There are a lot of girls in majors that require a lot of study time," Park said. "We value quality over quantity even though we are a big group. To have so many women that are right-headed, intelligent, and have character ... isn't that something you would just want to join?"

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