The first thing many college students think when they hear about Greek life is partying, drinking and hazing, but a new fraternity is trying to change the definition of what it means to go Greek.
Delta Tau Delta, Memphis’ newest fraternity, is reportedly looking to begin a new colony free from the negative connotation many students associate with fraternities and sororities.
“With everything that’s going on with fraternities now, we really wanted to show people that fraternities can be different,” Nick Yarbrough, a Delta Tau Delta recruiter said. “It can be centered on values and really focus on things other than the party atmosphere. It can be focused on academic service and leadership.”
Delta Tau Delta was founded by eight men in 1858 at Bethany College in West Virginia, and since then, the fraternity has expanded to almost 200 campuses and about 10,000 current members. They now hope to start a colony at the U of M, but even with the prospect of a new fraternity emerging on campus, some students are still hesitant to involve themselves in Greek life.
In light of students’ desire to avoid the downsides of joining a fraternity, Yarbrough was quick to expound on Delta Tau Delta’s zero-tolerance policy for hazing.
“The three things that we’re really not about are drug use, alcohol abuse and hazing,” Yarbrough said. “We believe that you gain respect from the man you are and the skills you have and not necessarily the things we force you to do.”
Starting a new colony will mean students will have the chance to take leadership and decide how Delta Tau Delta will be shaped at the University of Memphis. Yarbrough said these first selected recruits will be the “founding fathers” of the chapter and will set the tone for all future members.
“The opportunity to be a founding father of a fraternity is a unique one,” Yarbrough said. “This first group of founding fathers is really going to have a chance to build a fraternity that they want to see. If the first group comes in and says, ‘we’re not going to haze,’ then there’s nothing to fight against.”
With truth, courage, faith and power being the four principles of the Delta Tau Delta, Yarbrough said hazing will not be a part of the chapter in Memphis. But U of M student Javon Clark, an 18-year-old economics major from Knoxville, Tennessee, remains skeptical of this new opportunity and thinks he will need to research more before making a decision.
“I’d have to dig a little deeper,” Clark said. “Going off of what they say isn’t necessarily what they do. A lot of frats will say ‘we’re not hazing, we’re not hazing, we’re not hazing,’ to the dean and the school to avoid getting suspended. Underground, you can do anything you want to do as long as it doesn’t come to light.”
Clark said he has experienced hazing before and does not want to be forced into negative and dangerous activities.
“I’m scared of hazing,” Clark said. “It’s frightening. I want to get in touch with a fraternity with literally no trouble. I need a reassurance that I’m not going to have to go through anything.”
Clark said if Delta Tau Delta was serious about upholding these values, then it will be a great fraternity to join.
“If that’s what they’re really about, I think they’ll get a lot of members,” Clark said.
Delta Tau Delta will be tabling and meeting with interested students in the University Center and in Fogelman every Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the next four weeks. They will also participate in formal recruitment next week.
