More and more students are interested in joining Fraternity and Sorority Life, and new chapters are forming in order to accommodate them. The fraternity Delta Upsilon will be returning to campus this spring, and its return will give Ducks thinking about pledging a fraternity a total of 18 chapters to choose from.

Delta Upsilon was previously at the University of Oregon from 1934 until 1972 but lost its charter. The fraternity was recently invited back to recolonize.

This is an exciting time for many students who found an opportunity in this new chapter. Kyle Wizner, a transfer student, has committed himself to this organization as a “founding father.” Every new member at this point is a pledge, but by stepping up and helping to recolonize the fraternity, he will be known as one of the founding fathers for the rest of Delta Upsilon’s time at the university.

The representatives from the Delta Upsilon national headquarters aiding the recolonization are Mark Gehrke, Angel Ochoa and Jordan Guess. Gehrke, director of expansion for Delta Upsilon, is excited to see a this chapter recolonizing at Oregon.

“Delta Upsilon was invited to return to the University of Oregon, and university administrators and alumni from the chapter are both very excited to see DU’s return,” he said.

According to Wizner, the three headquarters representatives will be passing along leadership of the chapter around March, ultimately leaving its direction to the members of the fraternity.

“It’s a really unique opportunity to be able to leave my mark on a fraternity,” Wizner explained. “It’s easier to do with a brand new fraternity than one that has already been established.”

According to Wizner, Delta Upsilon also does not run the same way other chapters may.

“Delta Upsilon is a non-secret fraternity, which means we are able to share our rituals and everything with people who are not members,” Wizner said. “I think it’s cool to be able to share something like this with friends and family members.”

Approximately 30 bids have already been extended and accepted.

“I like Delta Upsilon because of what the fraternity stands for as well as the group of guys who have already accepted bids,” Hayden Rahn, a new sophomore pledge of Delta Upsilon, explained. “We all have one common goal: making Delta Upsilon the best it can be while becoming better men while doing so.”

While these students are excited and ready to get things going, the three delegates from Delta Upsilon headquarters are still looking for more new members. Delta Upsilon will become an official part of the Interfraternity Council spring term.

“We are already hosting events for recruitment purposes but we’ll begin to hold service, philanthropic and social events spring term,” Gehrke explained. “There will be a public colonization ceremony towards the end of winter term and then the colony will work to become a chapter of Delta Upsilon within the next 18 months.”

Gehrke, Ochoa and Guess will have a booth set up either inside or outside the EMU for the next week and encourage interested students to visit.