At Hamline University, pipers strive to give back to the community that has given them a unique space to learn and grow. One student organization that has made a commitment give back to the community is Delta Tau Sorority.
Since its creation in 1981, the philanthropic organization has made it a priority to provide community service to Hamline and the community outside the campus. They have made connections with various charities and organizations such as, the Humane Society, Be The Match, Women’s Advocates, Wingspan, Books for Africa and many more. Sisters of Delta Tau empower each other and those around them through service projects and have seen first hand the change that can be created by giving back to the community.
Shyla Alam, a sophomore, Global Studies and Political Science double major at Hamline pledged Delta Tau in the spring of 2016. Shyla serves in the national guard and works as an intelligence analyst. She was even able to travel of Zagreb, Croatia where she trained with the Welsh, Croatian, and Slovakian military. She came to Hamline half a semester late because of her service to the country. When she arrived she was eager to join a student org and be involved on campus,
“I joined Delta Tau to meet people and so I felt that was a good way to make a connection.”
Not only do sisters in Delta Tau create new connections but also lasting friendships that have helped sisters in their lives after graduating from Hamline. These bonds are just one of the ways that sisters continue to live by Hamline’s motto, “Do all the good that you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”
After joining Delta Tau and learning about the amount of hours and work that sisters put into philanthropy Shyla said she was a little worried about how she would complete it all, but throughout the semester she’s found out that it is manageable and rewarding.
“My favorite events are all the fundraising Galas!” said Alam. “You get to meet a lot of people.”
Natasha Semanko just became an active member of Delta Tau this semester. After transferring to Hamline from St. Scholastica Semanko entered Hamline looking for a place to make friends and give back to the community. Delta Tau was the perfect fit for her. Semanko is no stranger to community service, either. In her years before joining Delta Tau she has volunteered at her church, and Feed My Starving Children. As an education major she hopes to be able to volunteer as a tutor and help give resources to students who are struggling with their course work. Just recently Semanko along with other active members of Delta Tau made homemade trail mix and snack bags from students at and alternative education program,
“It’s rewarding giving back to people, even though you don’t know them, you know you’re helping someone.”
Delta Tau gives sisters the tools to create change within Hamline’s community and work to empower each other. Community service helps to pop the bubble that so many of us live in and open our eyes to the world around us. Alam and Semanko hope to continue serving the community. Alam will continue serving in the military and is looking forward to making a career out of it. Semanko has goals of becoming a teacher after she graduates. Both women encourage others to join Delta Tau in hopes that others get to experience the sisterhood and service that it offers.
“DT gives me the opportunities to reach out to groups of people in need that I would not normally be able to. It gives me the opportunity to be the best person I can be,” said Semanko.
