2008 Woodie Awards
Students start Chi Phi colony
Brianna Mulligan
Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Campus
After spring recruitment, a new Chi Phi colony on the Miami campus looks forward to a successful future with the six pledges to add to 15 existing members.
The colony was established by 15 first-year students in the fall of 2007 and was fully recognized by the university and the national Chi Phi fraternity Dec. 2.
The colony-what a fraternity must exist as before it becomes a chapter-was founded by a group of friends in Tappan Hall who decided they could not find what they were looking for in the current Greek system.
"Basically we were all really good friends and we didn't see anything we liked in the Greek system," co-president Josh Engelhart said. "So, we thought starting our own fraternity was a good way to go about it."
According to Engelhart, the idea to start a new chapter was first sparked in early November. It was a spontaneous decision by the group, followed by a concerted effort to bring the chapter to campus.
"We were sitting around in a room, someone was like, 'Hey, let's start a fraternity'-it started as a joke," co-president Nathan Woos said. "I agreed with a 'whatever, whatnot.' It became more and more serious. Then, Josh called the national office, and before we knew it we were sitting in a meeting room with a representative from nationals about getting started."
According to Engelhart, Chi Phi was a natural fit for the friends.
"Chi Phi seemed the best for us," he said. "We considered a few, but Chi Phi worked for us. The motto of 'truth, honor, and personal integrity' really stuck to us."
Chi Phi had a chapter at Miami from 1965 to 1988, but Engelhart said the chapter left due to dwindling numbers.
During the first meeting with the national representative, the group of young men learned the definition of a fraternity, requirements and how to recruit. The new colony was also assigned an adviser, John Schafer. Schafer is a Chi Phi alumnus from the Alpha Chi chapter at Ohio Wesleyan University. According to Woos, Schafer attends all meeting to make sure the colony is on track.
The colony was established by 15 first-year students in the fall of 2007 and was fully recognized by the university and the national Chi Phi fraternity Dec. 2.
The colony-what a fraternity must exist as before it becomes a chapter-was founded by a group of friends in Tappan Hall who decided they could not find what they were looking for in the current Greek system.
"Basically we were all really good friends and we didn't see anything we liked in the Greek system," co-president Josh Engelhart said. "So, we thought starting our own fraternity was a good way to go about it."
According to Engelhart, the idea to start a new chapter was first sparked in early November. It was a spontaneous decision by the group, followed by a concerted effort to bring the chapter to campus.
"We were sitting around in a room, someone was like, 'Hey, let's start a fraternity'-it started as a joke," co-president Nathan Woos said. "I agreed with a 'whatever, whatnot.' It became more and more serious. Then, Josh called the national office, and before we knew it we were sitting in a meeting room with a representative from nationals about getting started."
According to Engelhart, Chi Phi was a natural fit for the friends.
"Chi Phi seemed the best for us," he said. "We considered a few, but Chi Phi worked for us. The motto of 'truth, honor, and personal integrity' really stuck to us."
Chi Phi had a chapter at Miami from 1965 to 1988, but Engelhart said the chapter left due to dwindling numbers.
During the first meeting with the national representative, the group of young men learned the definition of a fraternity, requirements and how to recruit. The new colony was also assigned an adviser, John Schafer. Schafer is a Chi Phi alumnus from the Alpha Chi chapter at Ohio Wesleyan University. According to Woos, Schafer attends all meeting to make sure the colony is on track.
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