Lambda Chi Alpha has been a colony on campus for about a year, and the group is still growing as it approaches its date to receive a charter, Derek Hartmann said.
The co-recruitment chairman for the colony said Lambda Chi got 10 new members in its first formal recruitment, bringing the group’s total number to 43.
“Recruitment was really different from last year,” Hartmann said. “This was the first time we did formal recruitment. Last year, [representatives from Lambda Chi National Headquarters] did recruitment and they waited until after formal recruitment was over.”
Hartmann said the most difficult aspect of recruitment for the group was not having an actual structure to call home.
“We had to schedule places to go, like Heuser Art Center and Lydia’s Lounge,” he said.
And he said the group uses the Garrett Center for its weekly meetings.
“That was the big thing for new guys,” he said. “Not having that central location. But none of us joined for the actual house.”
Hartmann said the group will continue to meet at on-campus locations until it acquires a central location.
Lambda Chi will also receive its charter at the end of September. This will grant full authority for the group to function as a chapter.
“To [get a charter] in a year is really incredible,” Hartmann said. “Lots of people have been talking about finding us a house, but although we’re looking into that, we’re mainly focused on getting our charter.”
Sophomore mechanical engineering major Jon Doremus became a new member of Lambda Chi after the conclusion of formal recruitment last weekend.
He said the group’s lack of an immediate central meeting location wasn’t a factor in his choosing the fraternity.
“The house thing wasn’t really an issue with me,” he said. “It was different but it was cool, too.”
Doremus said he appreciated Lambda Chi members’ outlook on not possessing a house during recruitment.
“[Lambda Chi] didn’t put an emphasis on the house, like other guys who say ‘Hey, join our house.’ They say ‘Hey, join our fraternity,’ which was cool because it was about brotherhood,” he said.
Lambda Chi appeared on campus in 1927 and remained for 62 years until 1989 when the group left Bradley. A re-colonization attempt was made in 1992, but didn’t work out, Hartmann said. The fraternity appeared on campus again in fall 2007.
