It has been five years since the Delta Chi fraternity was part of the Interfraternity Council on campus, but yesterday they were readmitted after regaining their campus recognition on Jan. 28, officials said.

Andrew Dipsia, Delta Chi president, said the last step to regaining full recognition and respect as a campus fraternity again was to get the Interfraternity Council’s approval.

“”We knew we were going to come back, so we made changes,”” Dipsia said confidently. “”We are making a new name for us. It has taken us a long time to get where we are now.””

Dipsia said being an official organization on campus is like a “”security blanket”” because parents feel more secure when fraternities are more regulated.

The fraternity’s change in status will also help it in recruitment because now it can be promoted by the IFC like other recognized fraternities, instead of relying on word of mouth, said Jon Hornblower, a business and marketing junior.

Dipsia said it is easy for organizations to die out when their college does not recognize them because it affects their status and recruitment. But he said Delta Chi’s comeback only proves how much potential they have.

“”This makes us that much stronger,”” he said.

Gary Ballinger, Greek Life program coordinator, said once a fraternity regains IFC recognition, it will be on a one-year probationary period.

Delta Chi lost its UA recognition in 2001 for hazing violations and was put on level five probation by its national organization, leaving it a very small margin for error, Dipsia said.

The UA allowed the fraternity to attempt to regain recognition two years later, Dispia said, but it was unable to because it lost its national recognition as well because of alcohol violations.

After getting national recognition back a year later, Delta Chi resumed its attempts to become recognized on campus, he said.

One of the most drastic changes the organization had to undergo was a reevaluation of its membership. Dipsia said the chapter dismissed most of its members in order to ensure that current members as well as future ones were committed to following the organization’s values.

He said if the fraternity came back, it wanted to do it with the right people.

“”All guys went through an extensive interview process so that new guys don’t ruin it for everyone else,”” he said.

Reed Davis, director of expansion and colony operations for Delta Chi International, who helped the chapter with the interview process, said this is a big step for the fraternity.

“”It’s an indication of the university’s recognition of the hard work the young men have done to realign themselves with the fraternity’s values,”” he said.

Other changes made by the fraternity include having an in-house supervisor, an on-site staff, an alumni board for support and an academic adviser to facilitate communication between the university, the members, the undergraduates and the headquarters, said Dipsia and Ballinger.

Davis said these advisers will provide the fraternity members with guidance instead of supervision to increase interaction and help prevent more hazing and alcohol violations.

Even though the fraternity has a staff to guide it and is now more selective about members, Dipsia said Delta Chi members learned their lesson, and that’s enough to keep them on track.

“”Who really wants to get yelled at (again?),”” he said.

Dipsia said that members are also motivated to keep their recognition because it brings many benefits such as being allowed to participate in many more campus events. He said it was sad that during this transition period, some fraternity members attended college and graduated without ever being in homecoming events with the organization.

The fraternity has already changed its attitude, said Hornblower, but being accepted will increase morale among members.

“”Everyone will be more excited to do events and we will be no different from any other fraternity,”” he said.

Brandon Benadretti, retail and consumer science junior, said it’s the most amazing thing to finally be done with the recognition process.

Benadretti was a pledge when Delta Chi lost its national recognition and said it has been frustrating and depressing that the chapter has not been able to have social events to the extent that other fraternities have.

But, Dipsia said fraternity members will put the past behind them and Vice President Trevor Richman agrees.

“”We’ve all been waiting for this for such a long time because we have so much potential. We’ve worked really hard and it is finally coming to flourish,”” Richman said.