The fraternity Delta Tau Delta is losing its house to another fraternity.
In fall 2010, Phi Kappa Tau, whose house was demolished in February to make way for a new residence hall, will move into Delta Tau’s house, located at 726 Clough St. Delta Tau has to move out because not enough of their members signed up to live in the house next year.
Michael Griffel, Director of Residence Life, said every year fraternities and sororities sign an agreement stating they will fill their house. Delta Tau did not have enough people signed up by the deadline, so their house was given to Phi Tau.
Griffel said Delta Tau was already on housing probation this year because they only had 11 people living in a house with 16 beds. He said they did eventually get enough people signed up for next year, but not before the deadline passed.
“We’ve been working with Delta Tau for a long time,” Griffel said. “They’ve had housing challenges for a while.”
Junior Zach Maher, president of Delta Tau, said he found out Wednesday his fraternity has to change locations in the fall.
“Everybody [in Delta Tau] was upset with the decision made by the University,” he said. “This couldn’t have happened at a worse time. We’re rising as a bigger, better fraternity, but this is a blow.”
Maher said Delta Tau has been in the same house for 11 years. The house holds a lot of history and tradition and he will be sad to leave, he said, but the fraternity can continue to grow and move forward.
“Obviously it’s not a positive,” he said. “This is a big blow to the chapter. However, a fraternity isn’t just a house. We’re more than that.”
Griffel said Delta Tau is not the first fraternity or sorority to be relocated because they could not fill their house, it just hasn’t happened in a few years.
“For a number of years we have not had more fraternities than we have had space,” he said. “When we didn’t have more chapters than we had chapter houses, enforcement of [the house-filling rule] was not as necessary.”
Sophomore Craig Ripley, a member of Phi Tau, said he is definitely looking forward to having a house again. He said he doesn’t like Delta Tau’s house as much as his original house, but it is a good second option.
Ripley said he can empathize with members of Delta Tau who have to relocate, but thinks the right decision was made.
“I don’t think anybody [in Phi Tau] is going to feel too bad about it,” he said. “I mean, we like the Deltas, but I think we’re more worried about our own situation. It’s not like we chose to take this house. It was just kind of our only option.”
Maher said he doesn’t blame members of Phi Tau.
The University promised them a house after theirs was demolished, he said, and Delta Tau’s was the first one to open.
“It’s not Phi Tau’s fault at all,” he said. “I understand their position [and] I don’t put any blame on them.”
The University offered Delta Tau space in Conklin Quadrangle for next year, but Maher said he is not yet sure if they are going to take it.
“There is not a reason we don’t want to live in Conklin, we just don’t want to leave our house,” he said. “[But] if we don’t accept the Conklin unit, we probably won’t have a house on campus.”