And then there were three.
The Interfraternity Council has narrowed down its list of potential fraternities to join campus next fall to Alpha Sigma Phi, Delta Sigma Phi and Phi Gamma Delta. Representatives from those chapters will visit GW and make a pitch to the IFC in January, IFC president Peyton Zere said.
“These presentations will allow the IFC community to get a better idea of how the organization plans to succeed at GW,” Zere said. “From there, the IFC chapter presidents will decide what new chapter will add the most value to our community.”
Gordy Heminger, the president of Alpha Sigma Phi’s national organization, said an “interest group” of about 30 students at GW reached out to the organization about a month and a half ago hoping to start a chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi. He said Alpha Sigma Phi has about 1,500 alumni in the area.
“The fitting-in process will be relatively easy,” Heminger said.
Matt Humberger, the vice president of Alpha Sigma Phi’s national organization, said the group had placed GW on a list of schools it would like to join about five years ago. He said the organization has contacted the University about once a year since then to show interest in coming to campus.
Humberger said it was “icing on the cake” to hear students were interested in Alpha Sigma Phi after the organization had looked to come to GW for so long.
The IFC voted to expand about two weeks ago after about half of the students who signed up for rush this fall ultimately did not join a fraternity.
A fourth fraternity, Theta Delta Chi, which left campus several years ago, had been in touch with the University about returning in 2016, but Zere said the fraternity did not make the cut in the IFC’s selection process.
Phi Gamma Delta’s national organization had not been informed of the IFC’s decision, Director of Expansion Josh Moore said.
Moore said the organization is interested in starting a fraternity on campus, and would use its local alumni group, the National Capital Fijis, to help with day-to-day chapter operations.
“There’s a myriad of opportunities through the government, through the federal government, through nonprofits,” Moore said. “The fraternity can help supplement the experience, be a network and really hopefully provide a laboratory for confidence and gain those skills that they need to succeed.”
Matt Zahn, the president of GW’s chapter of Beta Theta Pi, said he voted for all three chapters, which have “philanthropic causes” close to D.C. and GW.
For example, Delta Sigma Phi works with the American Red Cross through its chapter at James Madison University.
“We chose these organizations because we felt that their values would appeal to members of the larger GW community and add another dimension to the Greek community,” Zahn said.
