Next semester, Lafayette’s recently reinstated chapter of Delta Tau Delta will occupy 10 to 11 rooms in Rubin Hall. This marks their first on-campus live-in space since 1988 when they occupied Tri Delta’s current house.

Delt will move into designated sections of two floors on the western end of Rubin and have the basement all to themselves. Approximately sixteen Delts will reside in their reserved section.

“Us being in a house of some sort is something that we wanted since we became a colony,” chapter president Charles Woo ’18 said. “We knew it would be a step we would have to take eventually.”

Former president of the chapter Dan Vincent ‘17 said this move was crucial to developing a sense of identity within the organization.

“I think it is an integral part of any Greek organization or living group to be able to live together,” he said.

Up to this point, the only gathering spaces that Delt has been able to secure are rooms in Hugel, Oechsle Center for Global Education or Oechsle Hall. 

This two-year agreement between the college and the Delts is a huge step forward for the organization, as they are a fairly new presence on campus. Both Woo and Vincent have spearheaded the chapter’s efforts to acquire housing.

“We formally started talking to the school after we became a chapter, so around November, December was when we started approaching them about the housing options,” Woo said.

Woo and Vincent coordinated with Delt alumni, and brought their proposal to Greek Life advisor and Associate Director of Residence Life Dan Ayala, Director of Residence Life Grace Reynolds and Dean of Students Paul McLoughlin.

Initially, the chapter requested permission to occupy the KDR House, which the administration denied. Ayala said that the college needs to retain that building for the general student population.

“We, institutionally, as the college, can’t offer that to them, because it takes away a pretty attractive option away from us in terms of inventory,” Ayala said.

Vincent said that the chapter’s ultimate goal is to get a house.

He said this living arrangement is “temporary, hopefully, with the goal I guess being to eventually — I don’t really know when it would happen — to be like any other Greek organization on campus and to actually be in a house.”

Ayala said that the expansion of the school’s campus and residence halls might make Delt’s dream a reality.

“I can’t think, presently, of any other open, dedicated space that they could potentially move into,” he said, “[but new residence halls] potentially could free up more spaces on campus. I think the landscape of the campus is going to look a lot different in two years.”

After two years, Delt and the administration will reevaluate their housing situation, and either decide that the chapter will continue to occupy Rubin or consider other options.

“I’m still really happy that we’re moving into Rubin,” Woo said. “It’s nice to have everyone together, and to have something that a lot of our sophomores and juniors are very excited for.”