KD falls short of quota again

Kappa Delta sisters are not talking about rush. That's because their sorority ended formal rush this year falling far below the Panhellenic Council's quota of 44 pledges. KD sisters declined to disclose the number of pledges they received out of this year's approximately 355 sorority pledges. But someone who asked not to be identified said the chapter received six. "Kappa Delta does not view that as news," said KD president Jessica Gross, a College junior. KD's pledge class size has decreased steadily for the past few years and this spring was no exception. For months, observers have speculated that the arrival on campus of a new sorority, Pi Beta Phi, could worsen this trend. Both Panhellenic president Debbie Frank and Vice President for Rush Diana Cruz said that the addition of Pi Phi to the sorority system had no effect on Kappa Delta's numbers. "To bring on Pi Phi was a system-wide decision," said College senior Cruz, a Chi Omega sister. "We implement decisions which are passed unanimously. Every president in every chapter has a say in what we do." "There [was] a need for expansion," she added. "There was opportunity for discussion and it seemed that when we made the decision that it was the best decision to make. If bringing on Pi Phi [was] to hurt them, the system would not have brought Pi Phi on. Our interests lie with every chapter." For Kappa Delta, the last three years have seen a decrease in the number of women accepting bids from the sorority. In 1990, 325 women accepted bids from the eight Panhel sororities, but only 28 of these women accepted bids from Kappa Delta. That year, quota was 47. In 1991, 391 women accepted bids, with the quota set higher at 55. But Kappa Delta collected only 23 bids. In 1992, 360 women signed bids from the eight sororities. With quota set at 51 pledges, Kappa Delta collected only 11. One of the sorority's national officers, Maggie Blinn, who also refused to release the number, said she was pleased with the effort of the sisters during this year's rush. "I think the girls did a real good job with rush," she said. "They had really great attitudes, they gave it their all, [and] they had good parties." Blinn denied rumors that Kappa Delta, one of the oldest sororities on campus, is considering leaving the University. Frank said that an informal rush period can follow the formal rush period for houses that do not make quota. It is possible that the number of pledges in 1992 totalled 11 after the informal rush. Frank, who said her Panhel position prohibits her from releasing any sorority's pledge numbers, said people should not criticize KD's sisterhood. "The future of Kappa Delta depends on the enduring charisma and strength of its members, their nationals, the continuing support of the Panhellenic Council, and the attitude of the student body," said Frank, a Sigma Delta Tau sister. "I would like to encourage students to think about how many members of Kappa Delta they personally know before feeling qualified to critique this important Panhellenic sorority and its well-rounded and diverse membership," she added.

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