The front corner of the Caf is the de facto dining spot of Delta Sigma Phi.

“You know how our motto is, ‘you’ll never walk alone?’” asked fraternity president senior Erik Mudrak, “We like to say it’s more like, ‘you’ll never eat alone.'”

Over lunch, junior members Blake Taylor and Joseph Bahena discussed the plays they were reading as senior Justin Wright massaged Taylor’s shoulders. A table over, a mix of potential and current members joked about obscure rappers and tossed crumpled napkins into one another’s glasses.

The loud, cross-table discussion mixed with quiet, one-on-one conversation reflects the variety of personalities within Sig. Yet, there is also a distinct group culture.

“It’s really, really goofy,” said Bahena. “A lot of memes.”

“Even the people I don’t share anything in common with aren’t afraid to be a little goofy,” said senior Alex Isaac. “Say something ridiculous, or scream at the top of [their] lungs for no reason. People are okay to be a little weird, and I think it’s absolutely magnificent.”

Isaac and his roommate, senior Tucker Reed, played video game music as they relaxed in their apartment in the Sig area of Rosenthal, door propped open. Their room is decorated with flags, movie posters and travel souvenirs.

“Most people put their personality into a room,” said Isaac. “I would say that posters and Christmas lights are a staple.”

“…and/or Sig paraphernalia,” Reed added.

Among members, there’s no shortage of inside jokes. There’s also an intellectual vibe to conversation; in Bahena’s words, Sigs are “politically aware.”

“We consistently get in arguments with each other that are seemingly productive, at the end of the day,” said Taylor.

In a fraternity so large and diverse, there is what junior Jackson Shaw referred to as “a culture of involvement.”

“We’re literally all over campus, doing everything under the sun,” said senior Andrew Ellis.

This engagement gives Delta Sigma Phi a defined, visible campus presence.

“Everyone is so individual, and ecstatic about being it, that the outside impression is sometimes, ‘wow, they are really passionate… they know who they are,’ and sometimes that can scare off people,” said Bahena. “But once you’re on the inside, you’re like, ‘no one’s out to really exclude.’ It’s just that we’re all really passionate about each other already.”

“We aren’t trying to impress anybody,” said Isaac. “We don’t go out of our way to try to change our perception for other people. However we come off is what we accept.”

Ultimately, it’s diversity, trust and shared experiences that bind the Sigs together.

“We have a lot of comfort with each other,” said Reed. “I think there’s an unspoken idea that we help each other whenever we’re in need.”

It was a sunny afternoon in Alumni Plaza as members of Tri-Delta migrated to the large central table like a beacon. Several of them wore white T-shirts without prior planning. The group mirrored each others’ expressions and engaged eyes during a continuous stream of small talk, never a lull as they discussed schoolwork, bug-catching and hometowns.

“[Friendship] is one of our main values in our purpose,” said junior Margaret Kelly. “We pay attention formally to friendship.”

The values of “friendship, truth and self-sacrifice” bind together a group of women with diverse interests. There’s no shortage of supportive energy. Members laugh with each other over their antics.

“Last year after bid day, we went through photos and zoomed in on people’s faces, and a girl who graduated last year… she was in a dolphin costume and we zoomed in on her face and it was just so ridiculous, like…” said junior Raquel Loftus, completing her sentence with a goofy grin to demonstrate.

Members hold in common a love for their philanthropy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and, in the case of many, for kids in general.

“Unlimited babysitting jobs,” jokes sophomore Monica Shotwell. “On the GroupMe, always, it’s like, ‘hey guys, new babysitting opportunity!’”

Two kids under the babysitting charge of junior Kerby Standifer – Noah and Charlie – even joined a group of Deltas for a sand volleyball game.

Active and involved, there is a culture of willingness to try new things. Many Deltas are athletes; just over 40 percent play a Transy sport.

Members speak their minds freely, from urging one member to get some rest during her illness rather than play volleyball to offering their opinions on various types of fruit. In Loftus’s words, its sisters are “open.”

This was reflected on the sorority hall. Decorated with quotes, triangles and pastel colors, the rooms create a serene, welcoming vibe. Senior Jillian Walls was initially attracted to Tri-Delta seeing everyone “hanging out in each others’ rooms, talking about random things or helping with homework on the side.”

“I live off campus, but I’m probably on the hall more time than I’m in my house,” said Walls. “I stay there ’til probably one in the morning.”

For Transy Tri-Delta, sisterhood means being tight-knit while also holding one another to high standards. Members track their study hours, service hours and participation points on GIN, a coordination app for sororities and fraternities.

“We want members that like our purpose, and who also follow it,” said Kelly.

Like family, members keep up with one another’s lives, sometimes even the seemingly minor details. As they walked to dinner, Shotwell asked Kelly how her sister’s bulldog was doing.

“No one’s a stranger in this organization,” said Walls.