Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, after the loss of its house last semester, intends to spend this year focusing on improving their chapter. The fraternity hopes to build a positive image on campus through academics and philanthropy.
DSP received below average marks on its accreditation by its national organization for the last six years, fraternity president Brett Miller said. They did improve 20 percentage points from the 2010 to the 2011 school year, however.
“We are getting more involved and want to be a visible fraternity, instead of one that stays down the hill,” Miller said in reference to the fraternity house’s location.
Kurt Masciovecchio, DSP senior, has helped brainstorm events to encourage DSP’s philanthropic involvement.
“We will admit that we were not as involved on campus as we should have been,” he said. “This year, though, we plan to do a lot more.”
To demonstrate their commitment to change, DSP is working toward earning its national fraternity’s Pyramid of Excellence. The award, given after an accreditation by a fraternity representative, is based on the fraternity’s performance in academics, philanthropic, and social events.
The men of DSP, currently with a chapter total of 28, intend to pick up an additional 10 men during fall rush. The new rush system allows continuous open bidding for a month, which means each fraternity can extend a limitless amount of invitations to join within the time frame. This change helps the DSPs recruit men of a variety of characters and extracurricular involvement, Miller said.
The fraternity intends to hold one social event a week during rush to meet potential new members and show them the fraternity’s dedication to a new image.
“The game plan is to rush hard,” Koletin Lee, sophomore DSP said. “ We need guys, but we want qualified members who want to develop into better men for better lives, which is our motto.”
To help the men focus on improvement, the administration along with DSP alumni decided to suspend the DSP house and use the building as a dormitory. Dean of Men Aaron Petersen, however, hopes to give back the house after two years if the men prove that they are a changed fraternity.
“The focus should not be getting back the house,” Petersen said. “The focus should becoming better men in a better fraternity and serving the campus.”
After seeing the state of the house, the college used both DSP house funds and college funds to refurbish the house. Currently, non-fraternity men inhabit the house.
“It stinks that guys who aren’t brothers live there,” Miller said. “But we know the college is doing what’s best, and that they are on our side.”
Although the fraternity originally believed its house suspension would last one year, the dean recently announced that he expected the fraternity to show two years of improvement before they could regain their house.
DSP will hold all campus meetings in the Strosacker Science Center, without access to their house. The lecture hall allows the men to have privacy during their meetings.
The dean remains hopeful that DSP will improve and find a new niche on campus.
“The Delt Sigs have in front of them two options. One is to wither on the vine,” Petersen said. “Or they can take up the challenge of becoming an exemplary fraternity and thriving on our campus. And I hope they can.”
