By Brittney Bruner
Before graduating in the spring, Brett Batchelor, a senior physics major, is leaving his impression on the University of Louisville and its Greek Life.
Batchelor is president of the new Greek organization at U of L – the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
Although Batchelor didn’t become involved in Greek Life until his junior year, he saw the U of L chapter of Phi Delta Theta as an “opportunity to start something different and guide an organization.”
Among the current 12 Greek organizations within the Interfraternity Council, Phi Delta Theta will be the most recent addition since Sigma Alpha Epsilon, which was chartered on March, 27 1999.
On Feb. 25, 2006, Phi Delta Theta received its status as a colony and on Sat., Nov. 17, the organization was recognized by the university as well as the Phi Delta Theta headquarters in Oxford, Ohio as a full chapter and received their official charter.
According to Batchelor, students were significantly driven to establish Phi Delta Theta at U of L because of its “strong alumni connections” in Louisville with a rough estimate of about 6,500 alumni living within a 100 mile radius of the city.
“I was thrilled when Phi Delta Theta was selected by our expansion committee and the IFC,” said Joni Burke, Assistant Director of Student Activities and Greek Advisor at U of L.? “They had clearly demonstrated the strongest alumni support during their campus presentation.”
Ultimately, the group of young men currently recognized as pledges in the fraternity are the “founding fathers” of the Phi Delta Theta chapter at U of L, according to Batchelor, and they started from scratch – writing their own by-laws and starting their own traditions.
There are currently 38 members and, of these, 13 of the original that participated in gaining “colony” status back in the spring. Phi Delta Theta achieved their membership primarily though rush week and various promotional activities.
“We are very pleased that they have already achieved great success in the area of scholarship.?This past spring the Phi Delta?colony members earned?a 3.231,?the ‘Highest Semester Average’ of all of our campus fraternities,” said Burke.? “I know they will continue to be an asset to the University of Louisville in the years to come.”
“We look for members who fit the fraternity’s principles of friendship, sound learning and moral rectitude,” said Batchelor. “We have a commitment towards academics and equality towards all members. Because everyone is new, there is no division between the old pledges and the upcoming.”
Affirmed within the context of their mission statement, Phi Delta Theta “teaches men that these areas of commitment, outlined in The Bond of Phi Delta Theta, are not to be viewed as separate ideals, but as areas of discipline for daily life. Developments intellectually, in leadership and human service (to name a few) are vital to the men of Phi Delta Theta. A member will support, and in turn have the support of, his brothers as these principles are lived out.”
“Each additional fraternity?that we invite to U of L offers a different perspective on how to run a fraternity, new philanthropic groups they choose to support and more opportunities for scholarships and leadership experiences that our students can take advantage?of,” said Burke.
The fraternity is also “Haze Free.” According to their web site, “Phi Delta Theta does not condone any form of hazing. It is contrary to the purpose of fraternity, let alone Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.”
“Bringing on a new Greek organization invigorates our entire Greek community as evident by the fact that our fraternities recruited the most new members this fall since 1980,” said Burke. “We look forward to working with the Phi Delta members and encouraging them to reach their potential on our campus.”??
With the spring semester on its way, Phi Delta Theta looks forward to rush week and gaining substantial status on the U of L campus.
“Now that we have our charter,” said Batchelor, “we can focus on becoming one of the top chapters at the university.”
