The path back to 35

Phi Gamma Delta crest. Photo courtesy of gallerhip.com.
Phi Gamma Delta crest. Photo courtesy of gallerhip.com.

Recruitment for both men and women is not the only recent news involving Greek life on campus. An Ohio Wesleyan fraternity was given permission to move back into the place they once called home.

After seven years without a house, the Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) fraternity received approval to return to 35 Williams Drive.

Members of the fraternity approached Dana Behum, assistant director of fraternity and sorority life, and Wendy Piper, director of residential life, about a year ago to express interest in starting the procedure.

“Dana and I met with individuals from the chapter and the chapter’s advisory board in September,” Piper said. “We invited them to submit an application for Fiji to occupy a residence on campus.”

After meeting with the members, Piper and Behum provided leaders of Fiji with a housing agreement, which would eventually be signed and approved.

The process was not always easy. According to Fiji president sophomore Ben Farynowski, there was a thick stack of paperwork to complete and a lot of disagreement among insurance companies.

“The big issue we had was insurance,” Farynowski said. “OWU’s insurance and Fiji’s insurance couldn’t agree, which took two and half months to figure out.”

Fiji’s advisor Dan Bennington, who was a member of the fraternity at OWU, lived in the house when he was a college student and was helpful during the process.

The current 35 Williams Drive House. Photo courtesy of owu.edu.
The current 35 Williams Drive House. Photo courtesy of owu.edu.

“It was great to have Dan help us along with the process,” Farynowski said. “Especially because he had lived in this same house when he was a student so it meant a lot to him to get the house back.”

OWU’s president Rock Jones noticed Fiji’s past record and commended them for completing the process.

“I congratulate the Phil Delta Gamma fraternity,” Jones said. “The fraternity includes a diverse group of men who provide leadership throughout the campus and consistently are at or near the top of fraternity academic performance lists.”

After Fiji heard the news, it was time to celebrate according to Farynowski. All the members were ecstatic to get the house back and to have one place to call home.

“We we’re getting pretty down toward the end of the process because we didn’t think the insurance would get figured out,” Farynowski said. “But it all got figured out thankfully and it’s pretty awesome.”