After three years of banishment from campus, the once controversial Phi Delta fraternity is seeking a new role in the Pomona community. On Tuesday, October 30, Dean of Students Ann Quinley confirmed receiving a letter from Daniel Tan ’02, president of the Phi Delta fraternity, requesting that Phi Delta be reinstated on-campus.

"We’re trying to apply to be reinstated," said Tan.

"I will reply with a letter reminding them of the circumstances under which they can be considered for reinstatement," Quinley said.

The fraternity, which was banned from campus in 1998, and formally disbanded in 1999, has continued as an unofficial off-campus institution until the present day. Professor of Philosophy Frederick Sontag has agreed to assist them in their petition, and to serve as their interim advisor if they are reinstated.

"They asked me to look over their petition," Sontag said,

"I’ve met with some of them. Their opening statement is clear that they just made an awful lot of mistakes. They made an awful lot of mistakes. There are only two left over from when Phi Delt was active. I think their attitude is very different. The old guys sometimes had a bad attitude. I believe in the fraternities, not when they act up of course, but I believe they make a valuable contribution to the community."

Sontag has served as advisor to the Kappa Delta fraternity since 1953.

Dean of Student Affairs Toni Clark also confirmed receiving a copy of the letter. She had no comment on the readmittance of the fraternity.

The Student Affairs Community will discuss their request at a Friday meeting. The Student Affairs Committee has authority to charter new fraternities.

" There are a series of conditions the SAC has made for them to be considered for reinstatement. It basically involves that they need a certain percentage of their members be co-ed, to be women, and at least one of their major officers must be a woman," said Quinley.

SAC member Sam Brenner ’02 confirmed that the fraternity would probably have to admit women as a condition of readmittance. "My recollection is that there needs to be a certain designated number of women members and women in the leadership of the fraternity," said Brenner.

SAC Member Mike Rush suggested that, "This is probably a specific case that would require looking at the reasons they were kicked off in the first place."

Tan indicated that Phi Delta would not be willing to accept such conditions, although no formal discussion of the issue has yet occured.