Following the disbandment of Delta Xi Phi (DXP), a new sorority could be in the making.
According to Jessica Gagne Cloutier, director of student involvement and advisor for the Panhellenic Council executive board, Sorority Interest Group (S.I.G) is seeking an extension to establish itself with a Panhellenic organization.
Because of DXP’s status as a multicultural sorority, it was not officially under the umbrella of the Panhellenic Council, Gagne Cloutier said. Which is one of the reasons why previous members decided to disband the sorority.
“I think the women decided that there would be advantages to potentially going that route,” she said.
One advantage being able to serve on the executive board of the Panhellenic Council, she said.
“We felt as a collective that we weren’t doing the justice that being a multicultural [organization] deserved,” S.I.G.’s Recruitment Chair Iz Falcetti said. “… We’re going through the process of becoming and hopefully having a Panhellenic org come to Keene and bring them to campus.”
S.I.G. still participated in formal sorority recruitment week, Wednesday, Feb. 7 through Monday, Feb. 12. Falcetti said until the group finds a new organization to affiliate with, S.I.G. will still be considered a Greek Life organization.
The recruitment events had a travel theme and consisted of activities such as bingo, game night and a night to discuss the values and goals they wanted to see in the Panhellenic organization.
“We’re still considered Greek Life, we’re still going to be in Greek Week and everything and the Panhellenic Council at Keene and Brandon [Carta] have been very supportive of us doing this.”
As S.I.G. searches for a new organization, they, “Won’t be considered part of the multicultural council so there’s certain things that we can do,” Falcetti said. “We’re trying to find a [organization] that fits the values that we find the most resonated with us and that has a similar mission.”
Falcetti said students should consider joining S.I.G. or its future Panhellenic organization because it is a unique opportunity.
“I think people should join our group because we’re doing something that hasn’t really been done with campus to this extent since DXP was actually brought to campus,” Falcetti said. “… You get to really become part of not only a friend group, but this sisterhood that has the same values as you, you get to have a say.”
Currently, the council is in the exploratory phase. Once the council votes and approves an extension it will then go to the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), where it will help with the next steps of chartering a sorority on campus.
At this point, the school does not have much of a say in what sorority organizations could potentially come to campus. The NPC chooses which organizations can hold a presentation and visit the campus. From there, the interest group and Panhellenic Council decide which sorority will be the best fit and then establishment plans begin.
Gagne Cloutier said this process can take time. Previously, at the end of spring 2022 and fall 2022, Phi Mu, a sorority that did not end up chartering with the college, had their extension deemed unsuccessful. However, the process to get to that point took nine months.
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