“It’s different this year,” Zac Seymour, President of Point Park’s sole fraternity said in an interview last Friday. “It’s not the same as what they’ve seen in previous years. We’re really focused on you this year. We’re not focused on bringing more people into the organization, we’re focused on improving the people who are a part of us.”

Delta Sigma Mu, previously called Phi Beta Lambda, has undergone a few changes for the upcoming semester, the most notable being the change in name.

Despite the change in name, Delta Sigma Mu is still the same organization as it has always been. Delta Sigma Mu is just the brand new name for the Point Park branch of Phi Beta Lambda, which is the name of the national chapter of the fraternity and what it was previously called at Point Park.

Some national chapters of certain fraternities will provide designations for the branch chapters based on what order they were founded. When the national chapter does not designate branches in this way, those branches can choose their own chapter’s name based on the values that they stand for. This is the case with Delta Sigma Mu, since the national chapter of Phi Beta Lambda does not provide individual designations for their branch chapters.

The group adapted the new name in order to cater more to the Point Park community, rather than the missions of the national chapter alone. It was changed to individualize the chapter so they could cater to their members’ development, rather than strictly what the national chapter focuses on. While the national chapter labels itself as a business fraternity, Delta Sigma Mu wants to be much more inclusive towards students, focusing on professionalism and personal growth. Vice President of Delta Sigma Mu, senior Andre Lowery, noted that the group was for students of all sorts.

“I feel almost anyone could come to a meeting and learn something from it” Lowery said.

The full meaning of Delta Sigma Mu, which was chosen by the members of the executive board, is being kept a secret known only to pledged members. However, Seymour revealed that the first word, “Delta,” represents Pittsburgh and its three converging rivers.

Emily Shaheen, junior Marketing Director of Delta Sigma Mu, explained the value in the fraternity’s new label.

“We’re really focusing in on our values which are fellowship, professionalism, and leadership,” Shaheen said. “We really want to make sure our organization stands for something that we believe in.”

Some other changes coming to the fraternity include the time at which the group holds “Greek Week.” While in past years it has been held at the end of the school year, this year, Delta Sigma Mu will be holding Greek Week early this semester. Open to everyone, events planned for this year include an ice cream social, and the third annual dodgeball tournament. The beginning of the year will also hold a pledging process for new members, after which, Delta Sigma Mu will shift its focus from recruitment to the betterment and internal growth of their members.

The pledging process planned for the fraternity includes a list of requirements that all prospective members must hold, including one hour of individually sought out community service every week and attendance to social events put on by Delta Sigma Mu. These requirements are put in place to show that the members are committed to the group.

Seymour says Delta Sigma Mu plans to do this by hosting fellowship events for members, bringing in guest speakers to speak to the fraternity, visiting local businesses and taking part in community service. The group plans to continue going to conferences as well, as has been done in previous years.

For existing members, there are still some executive board positions available. The Director of Programming and Membership coordinator positions are both currently open, but only to students who have been members of the fraternity for a semester or more.

Those interested should email [email protected].