DTD brings unique spin to Rush Week

The “men of excellence” are showing their true colors this Rush Week.

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The Delts booth for JDRF. November 15, 2018. Photo courtesy of @RMU_Delts

Garret Roberts, Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor

While there are plenty of interesting ways Greek Life at RMU celebrates Rush Week, Delta Tau Delta’s “men of excellence” are finding new ways to introduce members to how their organization operates. Adding unique events to their schedule, the Delts are hoping to show how they differentiate themselves from the other Greek chapters on campus.

The first way that the members of DTD are introducing themselves to prospective members is through Delt Speed Dating. Giving a creative spin to the traditional meet and greet, the fast-paced style of speed dating allows the Delts to meet more new members.

“Delt Speed Dating is fairly simple,” David Auth, president of DTD, said. “Each current brother will have a short time to sit down and talk with each person who is interested in becoming a member. It helps every brother know who the new guys are, and it helps them get a better feel for who we are as an organization.”

Another way that DTD shakes up their Rush Week schedule is through community service. The Delts are showing their dedication to their philanthropic activity by making blankets for children in need.

“We’ve done the blanket making twice now for our rush weeks,” Auth said. “A decent amount of what we do revolves around community service and our philanthropy, which is the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, so we wanted our potential new members to get a feel for that from the very beginning. The charity that the blankets go to is called Project Linus. They’re an organization that donates things like that to children with illnesses to help them feel more comfortable.”

The Delts describe themselves as “men of excellence,” creating a strong community within their fraternity. The Delt lifestyle isn’t just a college experience with past members continuing to support the organization into their professional lives.

“While that is what we pride ourselves on, being ‘men of excellence,’ we really have a lot to offer,” Auth said. “Our alumni base has hundreds of guys to talk to whether it’s general life advice or help getting a job. We also have a pretty diverse group in terms of personalities and interests, so whoever you are, you can find friends within Delt that you can become close to.”

The Delts don’t only offer a social experience. Hoping to encourage a strong academic base within the organization, they expect members to excel in the classroom as well. Offering a helping hand during the semester, the fraternity hopes to see members pass their classes while helping local communities.

“Delt also has academic standards that we hold our members to,” Auth said. “We also have several brothers who are tutors and are always willing to help out with grades. I feel like overall you can get a lot out of it no matter who you are.”

For those seeking to become “men of excellence,” DTD offers various leadership positions within the organization. Hoping to provide a leadership experience that will last a lifetime, the organization encourages members to strive for these positions and gain valuable life skills they will never forget.

“Delt has a whole bunch of leadership opportunities,” Auth said. “Personally, I have held three different positions. Currently, I am president, but each position is very involved with how Delt is run and operates, and they can prepare you to hold other leadership positions down the road once you graduate.”