After 5 years, Delta Chi returns to IU

Hauling his belongings more than 2,000 miles from Calabasas, Calif., freshman Paul Testa didn’t know if he would find his place in the Midwest. But with the help of the University’s newly re-founded Delta Chi fraternity, Testa had no problem fitting in at IU.\n“The other members are a great group of guys and they’ve really made IU seem smaller to me,” Testa said.\nDuring the spring of 2007, current junior James Troeger and five others contacted the Delta Chi national chapter, as well as several other fraternity organizations. Delta Chi was interested in coming back to campus, \nTroeger said.\n“We basically went from there,” he said. “We made sure IU was welcoming.”\nAfter a five-year absence at IU, the Delta Chi colony officially returned during the Fall 2007 semester, said junior Aaron Blitz, Delta Chi’s public relations chairman. With 41 founding fathers on campus, the colony is actively recruiting \nmembers. \nLast semester, Delta Chi participated with sorority Zeta Tau Alpha’s annual event, “Big Man On Campus,” and the colony hope to get involved in several different spring philanthropic events, Blitz said. The colony’s main goal last semester was to get its name out into the community.\nDespite not being an official fraternity, the brothers of Delta Chi have become actively involved with the IU and Bloomington communities with several philanthropy events, Blitz said.\nCurrently, Delta Chi is fundraising to secure land on campus for its house, Blitz said. By the end of April, Troeger hopes to submit the fraternity charter to IU and solidify their place on campus. While the brothers wait for a house on campus,\nthey utilize the Indiana Memorial Union for their chapter meetings, Blitz said.\nAlthough Delta Chi is still relatively new, the colony has big plans for the spring semester. Troeger said the colony will be working with the animal shelter and soup kitchen, while focusing more on community service, than fundraising for themselves.\nEven though Testa didn’t initially know what he wanted to do, he gradually got to know the members of Delta Chi and said he thinks that with the overall attitude the members have, the colony is going to expand and accomplish great things.\n“The best part is that I feel like I’m part of something big,” he said.