Phi Taus work toward meeting IU requirements

Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, after nearly a decade of absence from IU, is working steadily toward meeting IU and the fraternity's national requirements to reestablish its Beta Lambda chapter on campus.\nPlans for the fraternity's new colony have been underway since November 2002, after IU's Interfraternity Council and the fraternity expansion committee unanimously voted to allow Phi Taus to become a colony. \n"With the strong support of our alumni, we are bringing it back much bigger than what it was when they left," said sophomore Thomas Davidson, Phi Tau's recruitment chairman. \nCurrently, the fraternity is considered a colony. In order to become a full chapter, they have to receive a charter.\n"I can say that we have been checking requirements off that list very quickly," Davidson said. \nVice President Christian Filimon, chair of the chartering committee said the fraternity has fulfilled the majority of the requirements, except for attending the upcoming leadership conference this summer.\n"We'd like to be on track to get the charter by Homecoming 2003," Filimon said.\nPhi Tau President Christopher Sweigart predicted that completing the chapter's charter requirements by December 2003 might be a more realistic goal.\n"Originally our goal was to meet charter requirements by the end of the fall 2003 semester, and with all of the enthusiasm we've had, I think that's definitely possible," Sweigart said. "But it's probably a more realistic goal that we'll get the charter by December. We'd obviously like to get this all taken care of as soon as possible." \nIn order for Phi Tau to receive its charter, at least 40 members must be eligible for initiation, the chapter's collective GPA must be maintained 0.1 above the all men's campus GPA, and the colony must be financially sound.\n"In the past, other colonies' biggest obstacle was meeting the academic requirements," Sweigart said. "There's a lot to be learned from what other colonies have gone through, and academics is an important area that we know we need to focus on in order to meet the standards." \nThe fraternity was founded at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1906 and originally installed IU's Beta Lambda chapter in 1949. Due to issues concerning membership and risk management, the fraternity was removed from IU in 1993. \nPhi Taus have been attending IU's Interfraternity Council meetings regularly but will not be recognized as an official chapter by IFC until they are granted their charter, Filimon said. \nDespite not having a house this semester, Phi Tau members still conduct chapter meetings every Sunday evening. \n"The sororities on campus have generously given us some of their space on Sundays in order to complete these meetings," Davidson said. "We meet at a different sorority every weekend for our chapter meetings, and in return we donate a small $100 check to their national philanthropy." \nPhi Tau has also begun working to support its own national philanthropy, "The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp," started in 1986 by Phi Tau alumnus Paul Newman. The Connecticut summer camp benefits underprivileged children suffering from medical disabilities. Every Phi Tau chapter across the country raises $500 annually to pay for the children's fees for camp, and IU's Beta Lambda chapter is no exception. \n"Last Wednesday, we had a couch-a-thon, where we passed out information about 'The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp' and solicited donations," Filimon said. "We wound up with about $320, which we were pleased with for our first attempt at a philanthropy." \nPhi Tau is also continuing its recruitment efforts on campus. \n"We are looking for leaders and guys that are looking to enjoy their college careers," Davidson said. "Most of the guys that have joined this fraternity wanted to build a bond with a few good men and keep those ties for a long time. We have a good group of guys that love this fraternity already." \nFilimon said the idea of helping to establish a new organization on campus appealed to him.\n"I was kind of intrigued about being able to start a fraternity from scratch," he said. "I'd much rather prefer being a bigger piece on the chessboard than being a pawn in something that's already established. Right away it had leadership potential, and the opportunity to meet new people was important to me, too."\nPhi Tau's strict policy against hazing was also cited as one of the fraternity's appeals. \n"We have a strict no hazing policy and implement it to the fullest extent," Davidson said. "We do not put our pledges through a harsh pledgeship and ask nothing of them that I myself would not do or that they do not feel comfortable doing. We are still recruiting men now because of this style.\nPhi Kappa Tau's mission is to build men of character and we are trying to do just that." \nFor more information on Phi Taus, contact Thomas Davidson, Phi Tau recruitment chairman, by phone at 812-336-6130 or by e-mail at thdavids@indiana.edu.