Delta Tau, the first sorority at Binghamton University, held its first reunion this weekend for alumnae to reconnect and reminisce about formals, pledging moments and bonds made over 30 years ago.
Sisters from current sororities on campus such as Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi and Phi Mu were able to attend a meet and greet with the sisters of Delta Tau to share stories and discuss the evolution of Greek Life at BU. There was also food and memorabilia such as photographs of Delta Tau embroidered hats and pillows.
In the spring of 1980, Tau Alpha Upsilon brothers helped start Delta Tau after talking to some of their female friends who were interested in getting involved in Greek Life. In 1995, 15 years after its founding, Delta Tau closed its only chapter at BU due to the presence of new Panhellenic sororities and a lack of pledges.
Currently, there are 16 sororities on campus. This includes the Panhellenic Council, Latino Greek Council, Asian Greek Council and the Multicultural Greek Council. Most sorority chapters were created in the 1980s and 1990s.
Perri Zomback, a sister of Phi Sigma Sigma and a junior majoring in economics, said that she wanted to meet the sisters of Delta Tau to see how sorority life got its start over 30 years ago.
“I think it’s really important to know our roots,” Zomback said. “Greek Life is such an important part of my life and none of us would be here, no Panhellenic sororities would be here, without Delta Tau.”
Roxane Glenski-Martin, ‘82, a founding sister of Delta Tau, said that coming back to the University and seeing her sisters reminded her of how influential her college experience was.
“It sort of brings you back to your roots, this is where you came from,” Glenski-Martin said. “This is where our adulthood, if you want to call it that back then, started.”
Neal Roher, ‘80, a brother of TAU, helped guide the first Delta Tau sisters through the pledge process and also helped organize the reunion.
Roher said that because TAU has a reunion every five years at the University and is always organizing get-togethers in New York City, he wanted to help Delta Tau start similar traditions and reconnect the sisters.
“We’re trying to begin to reach out to as many Delta Tau sisters and kind of rekindle those bonds of sisterhood, get them reconnected with the University, show them all of the amazing changes that have happened at the University and show them that their legacy really is a big part of Greek Life and sorority life that exists on campus today,” Roher said.
Barbara Rosado, ‘83, a founding sister of Delta Tau who had not been back to BU since 1990, said the reunion brought back the bonds between her and her sisters despite the time they spent apart.
“Even though I’m not close friends with a lot of these women, I spent a pretty intense couple years with them,” Rosado said. “And now that I see them it’s almost like that gap gets closed and you can just be who you were back then with them.”
Despite the fact Delta Tau is no longer in existence, Roher said it is important for the sisters to maintain the bonds they made over the years.
“After its 15 years of existence there were a lot of sisters that loved each other a lot, and nobody has ever done anything with that,” Roher said. “It’s important when you get older to reconnect with the people who knew you, before you were you.”
Aileen Murphy, a junior majoring in environmental studies and a sister of Phi Sigma Sigma, said she went to the meet and greet to see what Greek Life was like when Delta Tau was on campus.
“I came here to represent my sorority and also to meet the founding sisters of Delta Tau to see what their experience at Binghamton was like,” Murphy said. “I think it’s important to remember the culture of Greek Life way back then and maybe learn a thing or two about how their sisterhood developed.”