Truth, Courage, Faith, Power. These are the four fundamental principles ‘Delts’ live by in order to maintain important relationships within the organization and the outside world.
Ever since the organization’s colonization on Mar. 7, 2014, the gentlemen of Delta Tau Delta have been working tirelessly to make a positive impact on Greek Life at Monmouth University. Through their successful philanthropic events, such as Delta Queen and volunteering at the Asbury Park and West Long Branch areas at Jersey Shore Dream Center, the Delts are not only trying to better themselves, but also the University and the surrounding communities.
“Between the two Delta Queen events, I believe over $15,000 has been raised in about a years [time] span,” said Anthony Serrantonio, a Delt alumni who organized the first Delta Queen philanthropic event.
Delta Queen is a competition held in Pollak Theatre amongst the sororities on campus where the sorority women and Delt fraternity brothers alike accumulate points in an attempt to raise money with the ultimate goal of winning the “crown.” This event raises money for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Delta Tau Delta’s national philanthropy. The foundation’s mission is to rid the world of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in children.
Shannon Marren, a sister of Alpha Xi Delta, recently won the competition this past February with the help of her Delt coaches, Christopher Carreira and JP Stabner. “The whole process was awesome, but I absolutely loved being able to dance on stage with my coaches and my best friends,” Marren said. “We had a great time choreographing it, practicing, and making sure the audience was entertained the whole time.”
Performing at Pollak Theatre proved to be fun and enjoyable, however, Marren and the rest of the sorority women worked to attain the same goal.
“Raising money for JDRF was definitely my favorite part of the process. It was so important to me to spread awareness for Type 1 Diabetes as well as raise as much money as I possibly could,” Marren said. “It was amazing that all the contestants were able to raise an incredible amount of money and work towards a common goal.” Marren is the second sister of Alpha Xi Delta to win Delta Queen in the two years the brothers have held the competition. Emily Rodrigues was crowned last year.
In order to hold successful philanthropy and volunteer activities, brothers need to collaborate and execute to the best of their abilities at these events. When the Delts colonized in 2014, almost half of the founding fathers were in the sophomore class. Now, since the mass is graduating in May 2016, a new wave of brothers are stepping up and taking the reins. “I think one of the greatest accomplishments of Delt thus far has been the installation of the Kappa Epsilon Chapter of Delta Tau Delta at The College of New Jersey,” said Matthew Yard, current Delta Tau Delta President and sophomore education student.
On Saturday, Mar. 5, Kappa Gamma performed a ritual and installed the colony at TCNJ as an official functioning chapter, only slightly more than a year after Kappa Gamma was introduced. “Installing an entire chapter, let alone one comprised of 102 members, is a great honor that not many chapters get to experience. Therefore, to have this honor extended to us by our national office was certainly one of our greatest accomplishments as a chapter thus far,” Yard said.
Since its official chartering on Feb. 7, 2015 when the Monmouth University Crescent Colony became the official Kappa Gamma chapter of Delta Tau Delta, the fraternity has added 16 men to its brotherhood between spring and fall semesters of 2015. “Even though we are losing 18 seniors, I was not concerned about Delt dying out,” said Richard Crinigan, sophomore computer science student and current philanthropy chairman. “We recruited 19 new members this spring semester.”
Even with early successes, Delta Tau Delta does not plan on slowing down anytime soon. Serrantonio, Marren, Yard, and Crinigan would like to see a continual increase in money raised for JDRF as well as the Kappa Gamma chapter becoming recipients of the prestigious Hugh Shields Award given by the Delta Tau Delta national office to those chapters who demonstrate excellence and utmost adherences to Delt values.
