Tri Sigma will visit the University of Illinois Springfield in its first step towards building a chapter on campus. A kick-off event will be held Thursday, Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. in the Student Union. Membership interviews are scheduled the following week. The sorority’s journey to UIS started with the Legion of Ladies, a student interest group created by Darlene Steinkamp and two others in February 2017. It became a registered student organization six months later.  

The Legion of Ladies mission statement, colors and symbols were all designed from scratch by the group’s members, but Steinkamp said Tri Sigma served as their inspiration. “We would sometimes call ourselves the generic version of [Tri Sigma] because we based our values off of them,” Steinkamp said. “When we started the group, we knew which sorority we wanted.” Both organizations emphasize female empowerment, leadership, community service, and friendship, according to Legion of Ladies President Maddie Cullick. 

The group started with 13 members, but since has nearly tripled to 36. According to Steinkamp, nearly all of them will be applying for Tri Sigma, though they are not guaranteed admission. All female students on campus are welcome to apply. Legion of Ladies members will undergo the same interview process as other students. “It’s something our members knew might happen, if this were going to come to fruition,” Cullick said, adding that it is up in the air whether Legion of Ladies will continue to exist after Tri Sigma establishes itself on campus. 

Steinkamp expects the hardest transition for Legion of Ladies members to be paying dues and enforcing stricter study hours. However, she adds, Tri Sigma is going to send a representative to live with the girls on campus and help them through the process. Tri Sigma also will be the first and only social sorority on campus, according to Cullick, who says a cap on Greek Life organizations will prevent more chapters from coming to UIS for at least five years. 

Those interested in applying can visit jointrisigma.com to schedule an interview time. After interviews, Steinkamp said, successful applicants will receive an invitation to a private event.