Phi Delta Theta Establishes New Chapter at Utah State

Greek life at Utah State University is expanding this year with the addition of Phi Delta Theta, which will become the fifth university-recognized fraternity.  Phi Delta Theta, also known as Phi Delt, will join Alpha Tau Omega, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Alpha Sigma Phi.  

“We hope by bringing another fraternity to campus we can introduce a new community in which men can find belonging,” said Ian Nemelka, the advisor of Fraternity and Sorority Life. 

The addition was agreed upon by the Interfraternity Council, or IFC, which is made up of students from various fraternity chapters on campus.  According to Nemelka, the IFC received letters of intent from two fraternities interested in establishing chapters at Utah State: Phi Delt and Sigma Alpha Epsilon, a fraternity that has had a chapter at the university in the past.  After representatives from both fraternities’ national headquarters met with the IFC, the council selected Phi Delt to expand to Utah State this year and plans to consider reintroducing Sigma Alpha Epsilon in a future year.  

 “We have a unique culture and identity at Utah State, and the IFC felt that Phi Delta Theta understood that best,” Nemelka said. 

 Phi Delt was established in 1848 at Miami University — 40 years before Utah State became a college — and is focused on three key principles: friendship, sound learning and rectitude.   These principles, Nemelka believes, will make this fraternity a good fit for Utah State.   

 “They want to contribute to making Utah State a better place, and ultimately, because we’re a relatively small community, that’s what we want,” Nemelka said.  

With 3% of students involved in fraternities and sororities at Utah State, Nemelka said Greek life looks different in Logan compared to universities with higher involvement. 

 “Some of our chapters are unhoused, meaning they don’t have a physical chapter house like you’d expect,” Nemelka said. “We also don’t restrict recruitment to one single rush week.”  

 Phi Delt will not be an exception to this as they will not have a chapter house and plan to recruit year-round. 

 Connor Cox, a recruiter for Phi Delt, said a chapter house is not essential to building a successful fraternity. 

 “I graduated from [the University of Nevada, Las Vegas], which was a school that didn’t have any Greek housing,” Cox said, “so outreach really came from just getting involved in the campus community.” 

 Finding community and professional connections, Cox said, is what this fraternity is all about.  

 “There are lots of opportunities for career networking,” Cox said. “There are plenty of professionals in a plethora of fields who come from Phi Delta Theta who are more than willing to get connected with you and help you find a path to the career you’re looking for.”  

 According to their website, Phi Delt claims to have initiated more than 300,000 men, including astronaut Neil Armstrong.  

 “We hope to attract students who want to be involved on campus and have a greater connection to others on campus,” Cox said. “I joined Phi Delt because it was a group of people that showed me they wanted to be my friend, and they gave me the kind of community I needed.” 

Elise Gottling

Flags displayed in the Fraternity and Sorority Life room of the TSC are shown on Sept. 2.

For more information on Phi Delt, students can visit @usuphidelt on Instagram.