Phi Delta Theta aims for high standard as new fraternity

MTSU is set to welcome a new fraternity.

The Interfraternity Council chose Phi Delta Theta to become the newest fraternity on campus to form its Tennessee Eta chapter.

Phi Delta Theta fraternity reached out to the university after seeing the expansion of the university over the past 10 years and low population of Greek life on campus. Phi Delta Theta Leadership Consultant Adam Lewis said the campus has a “pretty low Greek population, considering 4.9 percent of campus is Greek.” Phi Delta was then chosen out of a pool of other fraternities after presenting to the Interfraternity Council.

“Phi Delta Theta really seemed to want to be there the most,” said Patrick Morrison, Interfraternity Council president. “They really had a passion to be at MTSU.”

While the fraternity will not be an official chapter until the end of the fall semester, the fraternity was recognized as a working organization Sept. 16 and has already gained 34 signees.

The fraternity growth evolves mostly from referrals of others, Lewis said.He spent his time on campus talking to leaders in different fields on campus, ranging from the Honors College president to the ROTC director, asking for names of student leaders to contact about joining the fraternity. Lewis also conducted presentations to the sororities in which he describes the type of men Phi Delta is looking for. The fraternity has received its largest amount of referrals from those presentations.

“We are looking for a different kind of guy,” Lewis said. “We want a leader, we want a servicemen, we want a scholar. We want guys with good GPAs. We honestly want the best and brightest on campus.”

Phi Delta Theta wants future members to be involved with on and off campus activities such as student government, student council, or community service. Lewis said he wants to set the bar high with an average GPA of 3.0, although students have signed with a lesser GPA.

“Here at Tennessee Eta we are bringing leaders in from every sector,” said junior electronic media journalism major and first Phi Delta signee Jonathan Radford. “You might be a leader in an academic area, or you might be a leader in student government. You might be a leader in whatever extracurricular activity you do.”

Leadership is what inspired sophomore aerospace major Jordan Dawson to sign with Phi Delta.

“We can make it whatever we want it to be, and there were instant leadership roles offered,” Dawson said.

Phi Delta Theta will not expect to have housing for the next two to three years, but will maintain an alcohol-free housing policy whether its housing is on or off campus..

MTSU will expand Greek life again in the spring with the addition of Phi Kappa Tau.