Following a national trend of removing alcohol from fraternity houses, the new chapter of Phi Delta Theta fraternity will be established as a dry house following an induction ceremony held tonight
As a dry house, Phi Delta Theta will not allow alcohol in the chapter house or on chapter property.
In tonight's ceremony at the University Chapel, 32 students will become official fraternity members, said Jason Allevato, vice president of the new Phi Delta Theta colony.
After the induction, the new fraternity will receive its Fraternal Organization Agreement and be recognized officially by the Inter-Fraternity Council.
"We want to focus on recapturing the brotherhood and developing lifelong bonds," colony President Andrew Pearson said. "We feel the alcohol-free policy for the house will make it an environment where parents, family and girlfriends are welcome."
The members of the fraternity include a mixture of those who have rushed before and those who were attracted to the philosophies of Phi Delta Theta, Pearson said.
Allevato previously had participated in IFC rush events but did not receive a bid.
"I was looking for something different, and I did not have the passion that the [established] fraternities were looking for," Allevato said.
Pearson said he became interested in the dry fraternity after attending events that drew attention to the vision of Phi Delta Theta.
The mission statement of the fraternity states that the brothers are "driven by friendship, sound learning, and moral rectitude."
Allevato said he hopes Phi Delta Theta will become a different type of fraternity in comparison to those houses already established at the University.
"We don't want our primary focus to be on alcohol, but we won't be socially stagnant," Allevato said.
Allevato said he initially saw a dry house as a social obstacle within the University community.
But Allevato said he now believes having a dry house will keep the fraternity facilities looking nicer and still allow for parties to be held elsewhere.
Second-year College student Will Winters expressed interest in the Phi Delta Theta dry fraternity but did not accept a bid.
"I was attracted to the emphasis on moral living and being different, but I wasn't convinced by the nationals that it would be different," Winters said. "However, it is in the hands of the students leading it, and I know they will do a good job."
Phi Delta Theta is the first social fraternity to be recolonized as an alcohol-free house at the University, Asst. Dean of Students Aaron Laushway said.
"In that sense they are trailblazers," Laushway said. "They are setting forth the path to be followed by other fraternities in the very near future."
Among fraternities at the University, Phi Kappa Sigma and Delta Sigma Phi adopted alcohol-free policies last year.
In October 2000, sororities passed Resolution 2000, which prohibits sororities from co-sponsoring activities with fraternities on fraternity property where alcohol will be present.
"We are very supportive of Phi Delt," Inter-Fraternity Council president Justin Saunders said. "We completely support a dry house if that is what they want"
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