Sorority sponsors fundraising week

Jabberwock was a term created by Lewis Carroll in “Alice in Wonderland.”

More than 80 years ago, the sorority Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. copyrighted the term to symbolize elegance and entertainment.

Now, it refers to an annual week of events.

“We have taken the Jabberwock and made it our own,” new initiate Du’Wanna Davis said.

This year it coincides with their centennial.
 
President Brit’ney McTush said they are welcoming the entire campus to their celebration, because one of their chapter goals is to increase their visibility to others.

“Our audience is African American students, but our community is the campus and the city,” McTush said. “We are not color specific. We are always looking for people and diversity.”

McTush said it places an emphasis on culture and arts, which they appreciate.

“Having such a focus on culture, I think, is just in the genetics of our sorority,” McTush said. “We want to share and spread art and culture.”

Planning their annual event took a lot of work, new initiate Lauren Rodriguez said. She said she hopes it all comes together despite the stress.

“It was definitely a process, but it was all worth it,” McTush said.

Davis said she would be happy if someone could walk away from their events and say they learned something. She said she also hopes people can continue to talk about the events and what they learned in the future. 

“We want people to see what we do and who we are,” McTush said.

The Jabberwock Events includes four days of activities. Monday was the kickoff — a DIY craft event.

McTush said the event was just a fun, hands-on event to get people involved.

Tonight is the bowl-a-thon in the Indiana Memorial Union, which is sock-hop rock-n-roll themed to “add allure,” Rodriguez said.

Next week, the chapter is having a Walk of Fame, which will be student entertainment and performances.

Finally, they are having the Delta Academy Awards to recognize community members based on votes.

“We are trying to add more and do more so we can appeal to more people,” Davis said.

They are giving away prizes and will have refreshments at each event. Events are free, and donations are accepted.

The chapter uses this event to raise money for the Rosalyn L. Weems Nursing Scholarship. Weems was a member of the Gamma Nu chapter at IU but passed away from sickle cell anemia in the early 1990s .

This is the only event that raises money for the scholarship, although McTush said they are working to expand fundraising for it.

The chapter currently has 25 members and does not recruit. McTush said Delta Sigma Theta leaves it to the individual to seek the chapter out.

“We get more passionate members when we don’t recruit,” Rodriguez said. “We get people who are willing to be committed.”

Although the sorority is historically African American, members are of all ethnicities.
“It means a lot more to me personally to be diverse,” Davis said. “It is about sisterhood, and being diverse helps us reach out.”

Davis said being in Delta is a privilege and entails a lot.

“Delta is a choice,” McTush said. “It is a part of a culture. It is something people have to decide to do.”