The Formal Group Housing decisions were announced earlier this week. The Co-op, the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, and the Yuai Community were all awarded houses. Notably, the Delta Tau Delta fraternity was not awarded a small residence. The Co-op group retained their current residence in Hulbert House at 711 E. John St., while the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity was awarded the house at 741 E. John, which was the house for which they had applied. The fraternity was forced to apply for a smaller house due to their inability to fill ninety percent or more of the beds all three terms. The fraternity has lived in their house in Quadrangle since it was built in the early 1940s.
The Yuai Community was awarded the house at 738 E. John St. The house is currently the Earth House.
According to Zach Eustis, a member of the Formal Group Housing (FGH) Committee, all small groups were reviewed, but only three groups, the Co-op, Phi Kappa Tau, and Delta Tau Delta were required to reapply this year for Formal Group Housing.
The FGH plan put into effect last year awards groups with three-year contracts in whatever residence the group is awarded. However, as last year was the first year of the process, the contracts were staggered, with groups getting contracts for one, two, or three years. The three groups who had to reapply this year were the groups awarded the single year contracts.
Now all groups awarded houses will receive three-year contracts as the initial staggering annually brings several groups up for reapplication.
Chris Phelps, a senior member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity wanted to express his, “utmost distaste and disgruntlement about the situation.”
Amy Uecke, assistant dean for residence life, commented that, “The FGH Selection and Review Board considers it a privilege to be awarded a Formal Group House. They took their responsibilities seriously. They concluded that the Delts did not qualify for this privilege. A summary explanation has been provided to the Delt leadership.”
For more on this story, see next week’s Lawrentian.