The Beta Pi chapter of Delta Tau Delta hosted its first annual philanthropy event Sunday, completing its last requirement to become a part of the Interfraternity Council at Northwestern.
Delt, which began recruiting new members last fall, officially recolonized in February. The move came after a four-year absence from NU Greek life following Delt’s removal from campus in June 2007 due to violations of the Student Code of Conduct.
Philanthropy chair Josh Morman said Sunday’s Deltona 500 event, a tricycle race around the Lakefill, was the last requirement Delt had to fulfill to be formally recognized as an IFC chapter. Other expectations Delt had to meet to be part of IFC included “everything in terms of chapter management, community service, alumni involvement, academics and finances,” IFC president Patrick Schnettler said.
“The guidelines are not hard and fast rules,” Schnettler said. “The goal is to make sure it is a well-run organization and one that’s going to be an asset to the community.”
Delt’s president, Weinberg junior Ani Ajith, approached IFC last Tuesday to formally petition for Delt to join IFC. The presidents of each of the IFC chapters then voted on whether or not to admit the fraternity, Schnettler said.
“The vote was unanimous,” he said.
As an IFC chapter, Delt now has full rights to participate in any vote that IFC makes, Schnettler said. The decision to allow Delt to officially become a part of IFC was made with the understanding that Delt would complete two last requirements over the weekend, Morman said.
“The two requirements we still had to fulfill were a community service event that a majority of the chapter attends and a university-wide service event,” he said.
To fulfill the community service requirement, members of Delt participated in a park clean-up event on Saturday, with Deltona 500 serving as the university philanthropy event.
“I was searching online for stuff to do, and there was one Delt chapter that does a downhill tricycle race, which I thought sounded pretty fun. And then I came up with the name Deltona 500,” Morman said.
Weinberg sophomore Mary Fox said before the event that she was excited to participate in the race.
“It’s a bunch of grown college students riding tricycles,” she said. “It’s going to be hilarious.”
SESP junior Nicole Williams, who also participated in the race, said she was happy to see a new fraternity on campus.
“It’s definitely exciting, especially after other frats got kicked off,” Williams said.
Williams was referencing Chi Psi fraternity’s dismissal from campus last February. The fraternity’s national Executive Council voted to close the chapter following the members’ failure to adhere to fraternity values, according to a 2011 Daily article.
Morman says Delt plans to become even more active in philanthropy events in the future. Besides participating in Dance Marathon and Relay for Life, he said next fall the chapter plans to bring back “PJ Races, an old Delt tradition.”
Delt, currently a colony, will be initiated as a chapter and receive its charter from the national Delta Tau Delta organization Nov. 11.
