Delta Gamma Serves Treats for Charity

Amanda Rast
arast@smu.edu

Members of the Delta Gamma sorority along with many SMU women swarmed the Hughes-Trigg Student Center on Tuesday evening to socialize and satisfy their sweet tooth in support of the sorority’s philanthropy called Desserts and Gelato.

“Deserts and Gelato is an event Delta Gamma holds annually in the fall, and is such a wonderful way to spend time with friends,” said Skyler Griffin, VP of Foundation for Delta Gamma.

It just so happened that the philanthropy event fell on the same night of the Panhellenic Information Session, which is held for all SMU women who are interested in recruitment.

“We got lucky in the scheduling of our philanthropy because tons of freshman girls who are interested in recruitment for the fall were able to stop by and meet the Delta Gammas,” said Griffin.

In addition to the freshman, many other sorority women helped support the cause.

“When sororities attend each other’s philanthropy events, it embodies panhellenic spirit,” said Griffin, “I think it is great that we have received that kind of support.”

The dessert table was filled with all types of baked goods including cakes, cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and gelato. Most who browsed the sweets could not resist trying something.

“It’s my two favorite things: sugar and talking to people. What could be better?” said Kaite Delk, a Senior Dee Gee.

Some said, even the decorations looked good enough to eat. There were pink and blue picture frames which represented Delta Gamma’s colors, signs, and T-shirts which every member of the chapter wore in support of the event.

“Everyone was so enthusiastic this year, and many Delta Gammas baked from scratch. Also, every girl who lives in the sorority house brought a dessert tonight,” said Senior Dee Gee, Lauren Pruner.

The event was held to raise money for Delta Gamma’s national philanthropy, Service for Sight. Service for Sight is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to impact the quality of lives for men and women who are blind.

Anchor Splash, an event the SMU Delta Gamma chapter hosts in the spring, is an benefit that more than 100 chapters use to raise awareness and funds for Service for Sight according to Delta Gamma’s website.

“It is my favorite Delta Gamma philanthropy. It raises a ton of money and is so much fun,” said Skyler Griffin.

The Delta Gammas have been supporting Service for Sight since 1936, as their philanthropic purpose is to stop blindness before it starts. As a whole, the organization volunteers more than 86,000 each year.

The Evolution Debate Continues

By Amanda Rast
arast@smu.edu

Distinguished journalist and author Laurie Lebo spoke in the Hughes-Trigg Student Forum Friday to conclude the series on studying intelligent design in the classroom.

She provided an explanation on the origin of her book, “The Devil in Dover: An Insider’s Story of Dogma Versus Darwin in Small Town America.” The book explores the Kitzmiller vs. Dover Area School District intelligent design trial and Lebo’s personal journey to discovering her own beliefs on speciation.

Lebo also spoke about relevant court cases and whether public schools should be allowed to teach theories on evolution in the classroom. To help visualize her stories, Lebo used a power point to show pictures of the court case.

Lebo shared one particular experience she had when reporting for her book in a public school classroom. One teacher said to her students, “One day, your teachers are going to lie to you…don’t believe them.”

It was the birth of Lebo’s granddaughter that made her realize the perfection in natural selection. After Lebo held her granddaughter in her arms for the first time she felt “an overwhelming connection to all mothers and females across the world” rather than a connection to a superior being. This view went against her father’s devout Christian beliefs.

The lecture was also a way for SMU students to reflect on their beliefs on teaching evolution in the classroom.

“It is a theory that’s the primary basis for scientific analysis of organisms from humans in the discipline of anthropology to viruses such as H1H and HIV in Microbiology. Evolutaion should be taught so all opinions, even scientific, can be understood and interpreted,” Melinda Lang, a senior anthropology major, said.

Megan Altman, an SMU senior, said, “I do believe that science and religion can co-exist. I don’t see why people cannot choose to believe that God created speciation and the theory of evolution.”

Lebo stayed for a book signing after the lecture.