Erica Schlemmer dropped her Panhellenic sorority to join historically black Delta Sigma Theta — even though she’s white.

By Allie Morris, Staff Reporter, and Sydney Wilmer, Senior Reporter

Her sisters may have called her Top Secret because she was the only white girl, but Erica Schlemmer did not join Delta Sigma Theta to make a statement or stand out.

"That was my name because I was the white girl," said Schlemmer, the first and only white student in the historically black sorority at Vanderbilt. "But I was there as a Delta because it was where I felt comfortable."

Nevertheless, when Schlemmer made the decision to drop out of her Panhellenic sorority and rush a National Pan-Hellenic Council sorority, she admits she "was making the hard choice."

"When I was there, I was just sort of sitting around, watching people," she said. "I realized this wasn't me. This wasn't what I signed up for.

"I finally said, 'I can't do this, I don't feel close to anyone.'"

Schlemmer did her research and approached the sisters of Delta Sigma Theta. She felt accepted, but she knew it wouldn't be easy.

Schlemmer had to know the same amount of information to join the chapter and had to take the same tests as the other sisters, but more than everyone else, she had to know exactly why she wanted to do it.

"More people asked me — because of my color — why I wanted to do it."

Schlemmer said her membership in Delta Sigma Theta was accepted by Vandy students, many whom even considered her decision fascinating.

Most opposition came from black students at surrounding schools.

"I had to prove myself," Schlemmer said. "Girls would look at me and think, ‘You don't look like me, so why are you here?'"

Some of the questioning even came from her family, who remained in her small, homogenous, somewhat racist Illinois home and didn't understand why she was doing something so different.

"I have always had a different mindset than the people in the town," she said. "I had to have a good reason."

And even with a good reason, Schlemmer admits, "I almost quit. I wondered if I really wanted to do it - the sorority thing in general. It was more to go through than Panhellenic recruitment. I had to be ready to make that decision."

Schlemmer said she also had the more obvious concern.

"No one had done it before, so I didn't know how people would react or if I would be accepted."

People would ask, "‘Are you trying to change what NPHC is about?"

She said she wasn't out to change anything, though.

"This was a place I went because I felt comfortable. I believed in the sisterhood, scholarship and service that they promoted."

Schlemmer said a huge part of NPHC is the pride in race and history, and she had no intention of standing in the way of that.

"There is a huge pride in the history. The girls see themselves in these (older sisters)," she said. "In general there is a pride in everything (the sisters) do with race."

Members say they identify themselves as smart black women, Schlemmer said, and she doesn't disagree with them.

But she likes to think of the Delta Sigma Theta women in broader terms - simply college-educated women.

"Race was what it was built on," Schlemmer said.

But she said she sees herself in these women, too.

Now a graduate student at the nursing school and resident adviser in North Hall, she said her long hours at the hospital prevent her from being as involved with the Deltas.

"I am not the best at keeping in touch, but the girls in my pledge class always push and call me to keep me in the loop," she said. "Some people give up on me - my sisters won't. They try so hard and are more than just some girls in my sorority.

"They will never belittle anyone because of race. I think by allowing me in their sorority, they stand by that."