Club & Greek

Delta Tau Delta Set to Charter in Spring

The University announced that Delta Tau Delta fraternity will be the newest addition to Greek life during the spring 2014 semester.

Delta Tau Delta has been discussing with the University for many years now, and is being brought to campus to provide an alternative type of fraternity experience for the male student population.

Blake Hartle, chapter leadership consultant for Delta Tau Delta, said the fraternity is looking for men who are exemplary leaders on campus, who may have not yet found the fraternal experience they were looking for and want to create a brotherhood based on the values of our organization.

Hartle said, “This is a chance to create something that will last forever and you can come back to with pride. Ultimately, our organization aims to help make you the best version of yourself and a man who will succeed in life after college.”

The expansion team will consist of three chapter consultants and the Director of Growth. Delta Tau Delta will be at the University from Feb. 10 through Mar. 7 in the hopes of informing men about their fraternity. They will be conducting interviews with potential founding fathers, and hosting informational meetings and other various programming, such as a community service projects. Officer positions such as president will be selected through a second interview process after they have accepted an invitation to join. This will take place in the fourth week of colonization.

Delta Tau Delta did not set a cap on the number of men we they accept into their founding father class. According to Hartle, “Our philosophy is to never turn away a qualified man who exemplifies our values. That being said, our goal is to find 50 of the best men on campus who want to create something bigger than themselves.”

Hartle said, “Delta Tau Delta is truly looking forward to joining the University’s community, and hopes to hit the ground running by creating a dynamic student organization. We appreciate the support we have received from other Greek organizations on campus, and look forward to collaborating in the near future.”

Assistant Director of Student Activities for Fraternity and Sorority Life Jon Buchalski said, “I would not say anything is necessarily lacking from the [Greek] community but I will continue to work with students who want to improve on the current practices of their organizations. I am excited for Delta Tau Delta to start up in the spring semester; they will begin their initial recruitment efforts in the middle of February following the conclusion of the major recruitment period for the rest of the community.”

Buchalski added, “The men of the Interfraternity Council (IFC) last year decided to expand their community and invited several national organizations to submit information about their organization and their level of interest to come to the University.” Delta Tau Delta has expressed its interest several times in the past and the men of the IFC believed that their practices and resources would be a great addition to our community.

Joseph Dellera, a political science major and chapter president of Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE), welcomes Delta Tau Delta to the University and believes the addition will be very beneficial. He said, “There are only five fraternities on this campus right now and we only account for a small amount of the current male population on this campus. With another fraternity joining the IFC, more people will be able to find their niche amongst a group of people that they mesh with.”

Dellera said joining Greek life was one of the best decisions he has ever made, and encourages all those seeking to find their niche during their four years at the University to join. “You make lifelong friends that will always have your back. Also, I have learned more from this organization than I have in any classroom. I have been able to fine tune my interpersonal skills and put myself in situations where I have had to use every resource available to make the best decisions for not only myself, but the chapter as a whole.”

Dellera hopes that with the addition of Delta Tau Delta, Greek life will also improve on working together more often. “When you join a fraternity or a sorority you are entered into a much bigger pool of people than just your organization, you join all of Greek life. If we are able to harness this Greek unity we could do so much good for this campus and the surrounding community.”

Delta Tau Delta is founded on four principles: truth, courage, faith, and power.

The organization’s colors are purple, white, and gold. Their national philanthropy partner is Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), which seeks to find a cure for Type-1 Diabetes. Hartle says, “We plan to put together a local community service project, but as of now the details are to be determined.”

Since 1858, Delta Tau Delta has spread to nearly 200 campuses, with more than 130 active chapters and colonies comprised of roughly 8,000 students. Also, more than 165,000 men have joined the brotherhood of Delta Tau Delta since its founding.