The Collegian

Issue date: 2/12/09 Section: News

Media Credit: courtesy of David Wasmer Delta Tau Delta fraternity president Trevor Shunk speaks to a crowd of Delts. They picked up 22 new members Sunday.

Delta Tau Delta fraternity picked up 22 new members Sunday, bringing the total number of men in the fraternity to 62 and making it the biggest fraternity on campus.

The final step before the chapter could be installed required the fraternity to meet campus average.

"We were 1.5 people short before rush," President and junior Trevor Shunk said. "It blows away where we need to be."

Officials from the DTD national chapter, located in Indianapolis, will install the chapter on March 29, making it a full-fledged chapter of the fraternity, no longer an aspiring colony.

"We have met all our other requirements," Shunk said. "We're very excited and very humbled."

The Delts held a pick-up party at Associate Professor of Biology Dan York's house Sunday night.

Freshman Scott Scharl said he rushed DTD because the values of the fraternity closely coincide with his own and because of the men in the fraternity.

"Before I knew they were Delts I liked them," he said. "For me, it was the only fraternity I was ever interested in."

Scharl said he most looks forward to seeing his GPA shoot through the roof, something he said his fraternity brothers told him is an unavoidable consequence.

DTD's current average GPA is 3.36, up from 3.32 last semester.

Freshman Nick Youngstrom said he joined DTD because he saw benefits in the Greek system.

"I was going to wait until next year but after talking with my friends and my dad I decided there was no reason to wait until next semester," Youngstrom said.

He said he hopes to live up to the fraternity's standards.

Junior and Sigma Chi President Dylan Kessler said while DTD did pick up 22 men this semester, it only picked up two last semester as a result of not picking up first-semester freshmen. Sigma Chi only picked up five this semester, but 18 last semester, making its total for the year 23, one more than DTD.

Kessler said he doesn't worry about DTD pulling in men who might be interested in Sigma Chi or another campus fraternity.

"I think they're pulling from an entirely different group of guys who wouldn't have joined the Greek system without DTD," he said. "Ultimately, we're all part of the same Greek community and it's important to work together."

Until the chapter is installed, Shunk said the fraternity will "enjoy our new pledges for awhile."

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools