Greek life is continuing to expand on AU’s campus with fraternities Tau Kappa Epsilon, Zeta Psi and professional fraternity Delta Phi Epsilon seeking to be chartered.
Students will try to form new chapters when they do not find what they seek in other fraternities, according to Coordinator of Greek Life Curtis P. Burrill.
“It’s a vastly different experience starting an organization than it is becoming a part of an existing organization,” he said. “Every organization has their own little identity and people identify with like things — it’s just how we function as human beings. So, if they don’t find one they identify with, why not start their own?”
The AU community’s strong interest in international studies is what prompted the beginning of the professional Foreign Service fraternity Delta Phi Epsilon, according to DPE President William J. Hubbard, a junior in the School of International Service.
“The one thing that always struck me about AU was people would always say, ‘What’s your major?’ Someone would respond, ‘SIS,’ and then the person would respond with, ‘Of course it is, everybody at AU is SIS,’” Hubbard said.
DPE is currently working with Student Activities to find the best place for it on campus, he said.
Tau Kappa Epsilon — also known as “Teke” — was started when a small group of AU students did not find exactly what they were looking for during rush, according to Corey Lim, president of TKE and a junior in the Kogod School of Business.
“We had kind of a core group of guys that I was friends with … and we really didn’t feel a great connection to a majority of a chapter here,” he said. “So we decided well, if we don’t feel any commitment to a fraternity here, we can do something else. We can bring something that we like.”
One of the reasons AU is seeing more fraternities instead of sororities is the way they’re organized on a national level, according to Burrill.
“For a sorority to come onto campus there’s a huge process in place,” he said. “They’re very, very structured. They have rules and everything in place for many, many, many things, whereas the men are a little bit looser in terms of how chapters can expand and such.”
However, he said it is still difficult and a lot of work to for a fraternity to become chartered.
“Typically it takes two or three years to become a chapter,” Burrill said.
Zeta Psi became a colony on campus this summer, but may lose its place with amendments to the AU Interfraternity Council’s Constitution, which would ban two colonies from existing simultaneously.
ZP, which became a colony after TKE, is uncertain about its future, according to ZP President Matt Carnovale, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences. It would be strange for the constitution to become effective immediately rather than [in the future], Carnovale said, but he wants to continue working with AU and is willing to “wait in line.”
The IFC is scheduled to vote on this amendment next week. It is unclear if the amendment would de-colonize ZP or whether the new rule would only apply to new colonies in future years.
One of the more difficult aspects of creating the TKE colony was convincing other fraternities they wouldn’t impede upon their own success, according to Lim.
“[Some brothers may feel] threatened — it’s going to decrease membership, it’s already hard enough to get members — but factually, if you add Greek life to a campus, it spurs growth,” he said.
However, totally eliminating greek rivalry is probably an impossible undertaking.
“At some level, there is going to be friendly competition, and that’s just because you believe you’re a part of an organization, and you like to believe that it’s the best,” Lim said.
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21 Comments
IFC
Nov 12 at 10:39 AM
The legitimacy afforded to Zeta Psi in this article is astounding. Rather than follow the already described “loose” process to appropriately colonize at AU, Zeta Psi aggressively planted itself on campus, started recruiting, and only now is looking for recognition from both the IFC and the University.
This policy of aggressive expansion is evident in the Zeta Psi’s national fraternity’s effort to be on every one of the top 100 colleges and universities by 2012. Only after flaunting the rules, especially by recruiting freshmen this fall, has Zeta Psi finally looked to become recognized.
What a joke
Nov 12 at 11:59 AM
Zeta Psi is a joke anyway. It’s not like they’re a real frat. Even Sammy has more legitimacy.
for real?
Nov 12 at 12:33 PM
“What a joke”, are you serious? Zeta Psi has the highest reputation worldwide out of all the fraternities at AU. The institution is certainly the MOST legitimate.
Greek Man
Nov 12 at 12:33 PM
Zeta Psi is not a colony. They are not recognized on campus at all, similarly to Sammi and EI.
Zeta Psi did not come to campus by legitimate means, their nationals forced their way on by asking where the ‘the cool guys hang out’
Alpha Sigma Phi (Alpha Sig) is dying out as it is. Greek Life is founded in tradition and history. Where is the tradition in killing a fraternity so men who couldn’t get bids anywhere else can feel cool in letters.
I’m all for Greek Life and I believe in healthy expansion. AU has 10 legal and 2 illegal fraternities when this school is less than 40% male.
Further, Delta Phi Epsilon is a pre-professional co-ed fraternity that is NOT a member of the IFC.
To the editors of the Eagle: PLEASE FACT CHECK before printing a front page article. This is why your legitimacy and credibility is in the toilet. How hard is it to fact check?
Ok
Nov 12 at 12:37 PM
http://www.zetpsi.org anyone?
Little more legit than SOA and EI last time I checked.
Um...
Nov 12 at 12:38 PM
it’s http://www.zetapsi.org
Julia
Nov 12 at 12:47 PM
DPE is never mentioned in correlation with the Office of Greek Life. Fact-check yourself, you moronic Greek.
Odd?
Nov 12 at 1:01 PM
It’s kind of odd that greek life is afraid of competition. If your frat is so much better than the new one’s, why are you so concerned?
Nope
Nov 12 at 1:55 PM
No one looks cool in letters anyway.
Greek Girl
Nov 12 at 2:34 PM
If you’re gonna come to campus, do it the right way: go through IFC and natural expansion when the time is right. Being a bunch of rejects who try to force their way on campus without going through the proper channels means the Zeta Psi group is no better than Sammy or EI, regardless of national backing.
Guy
Nov 12 at 3:31 PM
Isn’t that what they mean by “waiting in line”? It doesn’t seem like they care too much about rushing onto campus. Also, who are you to determine “rejects” any way? You guys all sound rude, why would anyone even try to join your judgmental little circles of friends?
QuadRat
Nov 12 at 8:32 PM
This article is just presenting an unbiased understanding of the hurdles these colonies have to go through to become recognized. I don’t understand all these Greek haters. Seriously you guys are no better than gangs the way you hate on one another. What’s wrong with a decent group of guys (ahem…ZetaPsi) who want to start something new? Seriously it should be no different from starting a new club on campus.
Truth
Nov 13 at 12:30 AM
For clarification purposes:
AU Zeta Psi has it NATIONAL colony status, NOT AU. There was a break in understanding here during the interview.
More Truth
Nov 13 at 12:32 AM
Zeta Psi existed at American University during the 1970’s.
Heh
Nov 13 at 1:33 AM
I’m not exactly sure why anyone cares enough to ban a frat that hasn’t hurt anyone. If the frats in IFC have such a problem with TKE and ZP existing, then they should care more about showing why they are worth caring about in the first place. Being this paranoid only shows how little they actually care about involving students in Greek life at AU and how much they care about preserving hegemony. Tekes and Zetes aren’t “rejects” either, they’re nice guys with different ideas. They’re student leaders, writers for the Eagle, honors students, ROTC members, and nice guys with aspirations to make AU better. Stop hating what you never give a chance to in the first place. It makes Greek Life look much worse to the student body every time you disparage others who have a legitimate interest in doing something new. If they’re that bad, they’ll fail on their own anyway.
Bryce
Nov 13 at 3:51 AM
http://www.nicindy.org/uploads/files/Position_Statement_on_Expansion.doc
The North-American Interfraternity Conference seems to disagree with you well enough, IFC and Greek Man.
GreekLifer
Nov 13 at 7:42 PM
Bum rushing your way on to campus (Zeta Psi) is no way to gain recognition and acceptance. What makes you think you’re above the rules?
Ridiculous
Nov 13 at 7:49 PM
How about a little balance between Fraternities and Sororities instead of just saying there are too many rules for sororities and expansion is too hard? Majority of this campus is female, but you’re limiting their options, and on the other hand you allow a small group of friends who didn’t get a package deal to the same fraternity (looking at you Teke) to start their own fraternity? oh that makes PERFECT sense….wait, what?
Zete
Nov 16 at 5:06 AM
We never bum-rushed anything. We were never asked “where the cool kids hung out.” We are not rejects. We banded together to begin something we thought was useful to us. We sought out a national organization. We asked Zeta Psi’s expansion advisers to talk to us after selecting them from a group of six potential organizations. We aren’t looking to steal recruits. We are willing to wait. We are not attempting to harm any other fraternities in any way. We are not on campus, and until we are, we will continue to work with our national organization and work on bringing our rules in line with those of the university. We do not and will not haze or defame. We will not be rude. We will continue to be proud of who we are and what we do. When IFC decides the time is right, we’ll be thankful and more than ready to work our way through AU colony status. If that day does not come, we will be unhappy, but we will continue to work to make American University a better place and we will be willing to work with any groups, Greek or otherwise, that believe in that same goal. If you dislike us, we won’t stop you. If you spread (often absurd) rumors about us, we won’t stop you. If you accept us, we won’t stop you. We appreciate all of the defending comments above, though they do not reflect our views, and we respect all of the other arguments above.
We will not go away.
AU Student
Nov 17 at 7:21 PM
All I know is that EI throws sick parties. Perhaps the other fraternities should focus on being a little less rude, arrogant, and uptight.
Illegitimate or not, that’s where you’ll find me most Friday nights.
Greek Man
Nov 19 at 11:31 AM
To Zete: You may not haze of defame yet, but you break IFC constitutional law by rushing first semester freshmen. If you cannot abide by IFC laws now, how can we expect you to do so in the future?
Also, I personally got asked by your national recruiters where the cool kids hang out, true story. Finally, you will go away. Or, at least you will wait in line until your coming onto campus will not be to the detriment of Greek life as a whole.
To Heh: TKE and Zeta Psi coming onto campus effectively try to kill other, smaller fraternities that have existed on this campus for years. I firmly believe that if someone on this campus wants to go Greek, all they have to do is take the initiative and actually look at the existing fraternities. Anyone can find a niche, even myself.
Finally, To Quadrat: This article was not unbiased. Where were the quotes from and IFC members or even Curtis, the coordinator of Greek life? A fair article cites both sides of a story, not just one.
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