DSP united after weekend retreat

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The men of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity will write a chapter constitution this week as part of their efforts to rebuild the chapter, after two days of talks with campus and fraternity authorities this week, said the president of the Tau chapter, senior Daniel Loy.

The 32-member fraternity met with Hillsdale College administrators, alumni, and the national fraternity’s leadership on March 31 and April 1 for almost eight hours in Curtiss Dining Hall.

“It was a little strenuous but we got it done,” Loy said. “The best part of this weekend is that we got everyone on the same page.”

The sessions were led by Jeff Reynolds, a DSP alumnus who was part of the Tau chapter during a similar crisis almost 30 years ago.

Loy said one of the most important tasks of the weekend was laying out expectations for the chapter, especially for underclassmen who will be working to regain the fraternity’s off-campus house.

“[Dean of Men Aaron Petersen] said he wanted an exemplary chapter,” Loy said. “That seemed fair to ask.”

Practically, that means accreditation, Loy said, the national fraternity’s measurement of high standing. Sophomore Brett Miller said the chapter would try to climb what the national fraternity calls the pyramid of excellence.

“They’re attainable goals that we’re all striving for,” Miller said. “It’s going to take work, but if the work is put in, it’s not an overwhelming task.”

Accreditation is a year-long paperwork process that measures everything from grade point average, to volunteer hours, and chapter involvement on campus.

Loy said in years past, the chapter never finished the paperwork to qualify.

Before members nominate and elect next year’s leadership, they will write a constitution for the fraternity, a document Loy compared to a “DSP honor code,” for members to sign, “so everyone knows exactly what’s required of them.”

The conference is the final step in the chapter’s tumultuous struggle to restore itself on campus this year. In February, Petersen announced that the fraternity would lose its house next year for alcohol infractions and problems with membership dues. After many discussions, a petition to save the house, and a formal membership review by the national fraternity, Loy said this week’s meetings solidified the relationships between chapter and administration.

“The main objective was to encourage the rest of the membership who might not get to talk to Dean Pete or Jeff Reynolds, who might not get to see all the conversations behind the scenes,” he said. “That was good to hear and that gives accountability to both sides.”

Miller said he was surprised during last weekend’s conversations to see the administration’s support for the chapter.

“They’re not here to shut us down,” Miller said. “The administration actually wants this to work.”

Miller said he thought the chapter’s plight came across as more extreme that it really is.

“It’s not as bad as it was made out to be,” he said.

Only three members have decided to deactivate, opting for alumni status this semester. Miller said he was one of the other students who considered deactivating in February.

“I wish they would have stuck out the process,” Miller said. “There’s a lot of hope for where this is going.”

Loy said the chapter is not discouraged.

“If everything goes well and we implement our new strategies and accomplish our goals, we can be back in the house in the fall of 2013,” he said.