Sigma Delta sorority announced that it reworked its constitution to restructure its executive council and redefine the house's purpose, addressing issues concerning sexual orientation.
A committee of 15 Sigma Delts wrote the new constitution last spring, and the sisters unanimously passed the constitution, according to Sigma Delt President Lauren Currie '96. The new constitution, which Currie said better reflects the house of 1995-96, goes into effect in January.
The eighth article of the new constitution spells out Sigma Delt's goal: "to foster gender interaction and communication at Dartmouth in a social atmosphere of gender issues awareness."
The new constitution put things in writing that the sisters felt strongly about, Currie said. The purpose, social purpose and social practices of the sorority are clearly outlined in the document.
The second article of the constitution states that the purpose of Sigma Delt is "to provide a place where women can come together to share their individuality ... We shall not discriminate on the basis of race, sexual orientation, religion, disabilities or ethnicity."
The constitution's ninth article addresses Sigma Delt's social purpose and also talks about issues relating to sexual orientation.
"No social events held by Sigma Delta shall be assumed to be exclusively for heterosexual sisters (especially set-ups)," the constitution states. "Every effort shall be made to make bisexual or lesbian sisters feel comfortable in traditionally predominantly heterosexual situation (ex. formals)."
Currie said the sorority wants to emphasize that Sigma Delt events are not just for heterosexual sisters. She said the house may have unconsciously used terms in the past that enforced heterosexuality.
"We made an effort to make lesbian and bisexual sisters comfortable in all situations," Currie said.
Currie said since the sorority is a local one, "we can change our bylaws when we want -- we have no national manual to follow."
The new constitution is a "tighter document that defines things that may have been murky" in the past, Currie said. Sigma Delt's last constitution was written in 1992.
She said the sorority had encountered "stumbling blocks in our written constitution and procedures."
The new constitution will also change the sorority's executive structure. The offices of president and vice president were split into three positions: president, vice president of programming and vice president of membership.
The creation of a third top-level office gives the president "more time and energy to spend campus-wide on structures that tie us to the campus, like the Women's Resource Center and the President's Council," Currie said.
Besides supervising rush period, new membership and alumnae relations, this new vice president of membership will have the task of "fostering sisterhood and making all the sisters feel comfortable." Currie said.
The new constitution also put many oral traditions in writing to ensure they continue, Currie said.
