Unrecognized frat tries to start rush

A chapter of the Alpha Phi Delta fraternity attempting to form on campus began its fall rush yesterday, despite not being recognized by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs. Although Alpha Phi Delta Vice President and college senior Tony Mirabile said the group is "a full-fledged fraternity," the Greek Alumni Council has officially voted against the fraternity reorganizing on campus. OFSA Director Tricia Phaup said the fraternity had applied for what is known as provisional recognition, but that recognition had not been granted. "We are officially not recognizing them," Phaup said. "They are not a part of the IFC [Interfraternity Council] or our organization." Alpha Phi Delta President Michael Unglo, a college junior, said that since they are recognized by the fraternity's national organization, they are a legitimate house. "We are a fraternity because a national organization has recognized us as a fraternity, and because we have a charter stating it," Unglo said. "What we are not is an IFC fraternity, because the IFC has refused to grant us recognition. OFSA would like for you to believe that we are not a fraternity, but they're only saying we're not." Unglo said the fraternity registered with the Office of Student Life in January. According to Francine Walker, director of student life activities and facilities, groups can be registered with the University, but added that registration does not constitute official recognition. "The registration form that exists at the University takes the position that any group composed of students, faculty or staff that wants to come together for a joint purpose can," Walker said. "All that does is gives them use of facilities. . . it gives no official University recognition because there is no such thing." According to a rush flyer distributed by the fraternity, it was founded by Italian-Americans because they were discriminated against, but it adds that "while still strongly embracing its Italian-American traditions, ]the fraternity[ believes that the individual qualities of each brother are equally as important as his heritage." "The Fraternity opens its doors to men of all ancestry who share the democratic ideals in which America was founded," the flyer states. According to Unglo, the lambda chapter at the University had been on campus from 1922 to 1940. Mirabile said the fraternity folded in 1940 because of World War II. "During World War II, with Mussolini and all that, all the Italians went off to war to prove their patriotism, and that's when we stopped," Mirabile said. Phaup said when the fraternity applied with OFSA, it had already begun organizing on campus. "They began to organize before we had given them permission," she said. "We had a moratorium on expansion, and we made plans for expansion with Delta Tau Delta." However, OFSA voted later not to expand beyond DTD. "It was reviewed by the alumni council, and the Greek Alumni voted no," Phaup said. "We made the decision not to expand." But Alpha Phi Delta National President Joseph Rahtelli said that they are in the process of gaining recognition from OFSA. "They are in that process," Rahtelli said. "The school has knowledge that chapter is there. The next time the IFC votes on expansion they will know that the lambda chapter is there." Unglo said he began reorganizing the chapter when he received a letter from the national organization. Unglo said the national organization is paying his tuition at the University. He said his freshman year, the fraternity asked him if he wanted to start a chapter here. At the time, he said, the national was working with OFSA in an attempt to recolonize. When OFSA delayed in sending the national the necessary paperwork, national representatives called Phaup, who said that OFSA did not know if it would expand. The national filled out the paperwork, but OFSA voted not to expand. "They gave it to Delta Tau Delta and not us," Unglo said. Despite the problems, Unglo said that rush is going "okay." "It's going as good as it can go for someone who's not in the IFC," he said.

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