By Sally Ann Moyer
Reporter

Baylor’s Rho Eta chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., is currently celebrating Delta Week, an event designed to support the sorority’s five thrusts.

The week began Sunday night and will run through Saturday morning.

“Each event in our week is intended to meet our five point thrust: Economic development, educational development, international awareness and involvement, physical and mental health and political awareness and involvement,” Stockton, Calif. senior Racquel Joseph, vice president of the Rho Eta chapter, said.

Hosting a week is common among National Pan-Hellenic Council sororities and fraternities, and Delta Sigma Theta hosts one week each semester, Joseph said.

“I think it’s an opportunity to let us be exposed to other organizations on campus. It shows events and community service that our chapter does,” Spring senior Leah Lewis, Delta Sigma Theta member and National Pan-Hellenic Council vice president, said.

While the week is geared toward the black community, Delta Sigma Theta members encourage others to attend.

“Our national goal is to support the black community because we are traditionally black, though we try to keep our events open, too,” Lewis said.

The week also helps fulfill the chapter motto of valuing sisterhood as much as community service, Phoenix senior and Delta Sigma Theta member Andrea Bunitt said.

“I think something that really explains us is how seriously we take sisterhood; I have never seen sisterhood better,” Bunitt said.

The week began Sunday night with a Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir concert at First Woodway Baptist Church in Waco.

“It was mainly to support them and to get a crowd,” Joseph said.

Delta Sigma Theta members sold CDs for Heavenly Voices during intermission and at the end of the show.

The first two events of the week were to meet Delta Sigma Theta’s physical and mental health thrust, Joseph said.

Monday included a free Bearobics class, and the chapter hosted blood drive Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Delta Sigma Theta’s chapter chaplain led a discussion on Rob Bell’s new book, “Love Wins.”

“We just thought it would be interesting to actively explore our faith,” Joseph said.

The event, co-hosted with Baylor Spiritual Life, fell outside of Delta Sigma Theta’s five thrusts.

“We like to think we have the thrusts, and then we address what we feel like the Baylor community needs as well,” Joseph said. “We like to have at least one to two religious themed events each year.”

Delta Sigma Theta also co-hosted Delta-Que with Omega Psi Phi, its brother fraternity, on Thursday.

The event included free barbeque for over 400 people, a clothing drive and the announcement of the BU Choice Awards, which are chosen from general student nominations ranging from cutest couple to favorite freshman, Joseph said.

Today’s event is more informal with a dance party at the Texas Scottish Rite in Waco.

Delta Week will conclude Saturday Delta Sigma Theta’s regular community service activity with Mission Waco’s King’s Club, a children’s program, the kick-off to their community service week.

“I think one thing about us is that we pride ourselves on just going above and beyond in everything that we do, even if it’s an event that we have done the previous year,” Lewis said.

Besides serving with King’s Club, Delta-Que was the only event this week that Delta Sigma Theta had hosted in previous Delta weeks.

“This is the more fun week, because we have a lot of giveaways,” Joseph said.