Correction: The original article stated that Delta Sigma Theta was founded at Harvard University. It was actually founded at Howard University.

When junior Morgan Fleming became a sister in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. last April, she was overjoyed.

It was one of the greatest moments of her life. Her friends and mother came and, most of all, she was forever part of a new community. As her ambitions grew in her chapter, Omicron Iota, she realized work needed to be done.

Fleming, now the president of Delta Sigma Theta, wants to increase her sorority’s presence on campus. Even though they are active, Fleming understands that Delta Sigma Theta’s membership is low because of the small size of Elon’s black community.

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) members make up 2 percent of Elon’s Greek Life. There are currently 44 students involved in Elon’s NPHC, which oversees historically black Greek Life organizations, or 8.65 percent of all 384 Elon students who identify as black/African American. But this does not lessen their community impact or philanthropy work.

“I think that, as a smaller part of Greek Life, NPHC has to work a lot harder to be visible,” Fleming said. “We have to make sure that we use our resources wisely in order to capitalize on the promotion of our events so that we can increase the audience.”

According to Nikia Jefferson, assistant director of Greek Life and NPHC adviser, expanding the NPHC organizations’ on-campus presence is an ongoing process that requires further advertising efforts.

In the past year alone, two new NPHC positions were created at Elon: director of public relations and director of special events. Along with being her sorority’s president, Fleming is also the NPHC’s director of special events. 

“[The number of black Elon students] alone plays into the size of our organizations,” Jefferson said. “And obviously not everyone wants to be Greek.”

There are six NPHC Greek Life chapters at Elon: Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta.

Although they are independent organizations with varying goals and philanthropies, they come together throughout the year. For example, they participate in an annual Homecoming Step Show, among other events.

Jefferson helps keep all the NPHC organizations connected and is often in conversation with each NPHC chapter president about organizational expansion.

Other than their sizes when compared to other Elon Greek Life groups, NPHC organizations, specifically Delta Sigma Theta, have a different recruitment process.

Both Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Council (PHC) organizations have a set recruitment time during the year. PHC’s Bid Day was Feb. 1, when nine of Elon’s sororities welcomed a total of 505 new members. IFC formal spring recruitment ended with Bid Day Feb. 6.

Delta Sigma Theta and other NPHC organizations do not have a predetermined recruitment schedule. Instead, members post flyers around campus and on social media, and those interested attend meetings.

The recruitment process begins when each chapter is ready and the national organization and Elon’s Greek Life office allows it. The last time Delta Sigma Theta welcomed new members was Spring 2014.

There is now no word when recruitment will resume.

Fleming said being in a small organization is difficult but also an excellent bonding experience.

“There isn’t room for someone who can’t pull their own weight,” Fleming said. “But we regularly see each other at least four times a week, so this closeness greatly increases our sisterhood.”

Jefferson admires the tight-knit, committed members of NPHC organizations.

“Because they are smaller organizations, each member has to step up,” Jefferson said. “All of them undergo personal and leadership development that will help them after their time at Elon.”

Before becoming a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Fleming said she wasn’t certain about joining a Greek organization at Elon.

This changed when she began to assess her values, which included compassion and honesty. She admires and was influenced by her mother, also a Delta Sigma Theta member, along with other members of the organization.

“I discovered that people I looked up to were women with great values,” Fleming said. “It so happened that all of them were members of Delta Sigma Theta.”

Established at Elon in 1981, Delta Sigma Theta became the first historically black sorority on campus. Now, the chapter currently has eight members, with two studying abroad for the semester.

Fleming was elected president last May after expressing her dreams of expanding her organization’s reach on campus. To do this, she is in the process of holding events that are relevant to more Elon students. These events might include collaboration with other Greek Life organizations, the Elon African Society and Elon’s Latin American Student Organization.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was originally founded in 1913 at Howard University. The organization has received several awards at Elon, including Sorority of the Year in 1992, Chapter of Excellence in 1996 and Outstanding Campus Involvement and Leadership in 2003.

The organization’s philanthropy addresses issues in economic development, educational development, international awareness and involvement, physical and mental health and political awareness and involvement.

Their major service project, which is related to educational development and is a partnership with the Burlington Housing Authority, is a program designed to help middle school and early high school students excel in class and prepare them for their futures. The sorority sisters help the students with homework after school, assist them with the college application process and teach step dance workshops.

Besides her leadership roles in her sorority and in the NPHC, Fleming is a Teacher’s Assistant for Organic Chemistry, an Honors Fellow and a member of Phi Lambda Epsilon, the Chemistry national honor society.

She admits her sorority is not the largest organization on campus, but she said they are still active and making a difference.

“Look closely for our presence, we are here,” she said. “You just have to look harder for us.”