By Jessica Lewis
As of February 12, 2011, The University’s greek life community gained a fraternity. The New York Kappa Chapter of Phi Delta Theta was founded by 30 university students.
“This has been an idea since Spring 2009, passed through IFSC(Inter Fraternity Sorority Council) March 17th, 2010, colonized May 8, 2010, chartered February 12, 2011,” said community service chair and former president, Gregg Albaum.
Albaum first sent out an email to a group of guys in April 2009 with the idea of starting a new fraternity, Phi Delta Theta member Nick Morgan said.
Gregg Albaum, our first president, had a brother-in-law in Phi Delta Theta, and knew a lot about the organizations history and what it stood for,” Morgan said. “He presented the fraternity as a way to really impact the community and give back to Hofstra and the local area. It was a way to hopefully help improve the image of greek life on Hofstra’s campus.”
In 2009, Hofstra administration put a freeze on greek life expansion, said Morgan. This caused the plans for Phi Delta Theta to be put on hold for a semester.
When Phi Delta Theta became recognized as a colony, all of the chapter’s programs and bylaws had to be put in writing. They also had to expand their chapter to 35 men, when they originally approached the IFSC with 16. All of these members had to pay dues, and complete a set number of community service hours.
“The purpose of starting a new fraternity on campus is to bring one that may have the interest of men here at Hofstra that they didn’t see in other organizations,” Albaum said. “It is all about finding your niche, with multiple fraternities on campus, it can only expand the appeal of greek life as a whole. Phi Delta Theta has the three cardinal principles of friendship, sound learning, and more rectitude.”
Phi Delta Theta is currently recognized as an active fraternity at The University.