- Omega Delta Phi
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Omega Delta Phi ΩΔΦFounded November 25, 1987
Texas Tech UniversityType Social Emphasis Service Scope National Motto Crescit Eundo It grows as it goes Colors Scarlet, Silver and Black Symbol Knight Flower Silver Rose Chapters 50 Headquarters Phoenix, Arizona, USA Homepage www.omegadeltaphi.com Omega Delta Phi (ΩΔΦ), also known as O D Phi, is an intercollegiate fraternity that was founded on November 25, 1987 by seven students attending Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Its seven founders known as the "Men of Vision" to fraternity members wanted to create an organization to help students graduate. This initial organization became Omega Delta Phi Fraternity. Over the past twenty years the Fraternity has changed and adopted other values such as an emphasis on Community Service. Omega Delta Phi was named Fraternity of the Year for 2003, 2004, and 2005 by the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations[1]. Although one of the Greek organizations that founded NALFO, Omega Delta Phi withdrew their membership in December of 2008.[2]
Omega Delta Phi is a multicultural service/social fraternity that aims at graduating its members while giving back to the community. The Fraternity has established itself on 52 campuses and is predominantly centered in Texas and the Southwest. However, the Fraternity has been experiencing tremendous growth in the Midwest the last 10 years. Although founded mainly by Latinos, the Fraternity has traditionally always been open to men of different backgrounds, as demonstrated through its "One culture, any race" philosophy.
In the early 1990s, Omega Delta Phi chapters were established in university systems such as the Texas A&M University System, University of Texas System, New Mexico and Arizona systems. Later on, because of the increasing popularity of the Internet, the fraternity experienced growth and chapters were founded in cities such as the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area, Houston, and Seattle. The fraternity established a short-lived chapter in Mexico City, Mexico as well.[citation needed]
In 2000, Omega Delta Phi founded an alumni association to provide a support group for its alumni base[3]. The fraternity now has several alumni chapters throughout the U.S. and Mexico[citation needed] The organization continues to grow beyond the Southwest and Midwest United States and now has chapters, colonies, and clubs in both the west and east coasts.Contents
History
Founding
Omega Delta Phi was founded by the following seven individuals in the fall of 1987 at Texas Tech University:
- Joe Cereceres
- Eugene Dominguez
- Arturo Barraza
- Juan Barraza
- Tommy Hurtado
- Chris Forbes
- Elliot Bazan
According to members of Omega Delta Phi, the fraternity was the "Brain Child" of Joe Cereceres. Joe Cereceres is credited as being the founder who came up with the idea of starting the fraternity. He had originally been influenced by a sorority known as Kappa Delta Chi Sorority, Inc. which had also been founded earlier that year at Texas Tech under the same values(subsequently, today members of these organizations collectively refer to themselves as the 87 Family, however, no official affiliation exists between the two). Cereceres, seeing how a male organization with a similar fraternal structure could be beneficial, began searching for others that would share in his vision. After getting together six other men they began to have weekly meetings. These meetings consisted of informal discussions about what they were going to do as a group. At the time not everyone was on board with starting a Fraternal organization because of the negative stigma that surrounded Fraternities. However, after many lengthy meetings the group decided that they could change that stigma through positive actions. They decided to focus on graduation and service as the main goals of their new organization. On November 25th, 1987 the group was officially recognized as a Fraternity and granted Charter status from Texas Tech University. In 1988 Omega Delta Phi initiated its first class with 12 new members that would later be known as the Charter Class.Early History
Much of Omega Delta Phi's early history dealt with finding an identity. It was at this time that many of the first traditions of the fraternity were born. The Crest, as well as the sacraments, and motifs were adopted during this time. It was also at this time that the practice of consumption of any alcohol while wearing Omega Delta Phi paraphernalia was forbidden. An identity issue that arose was whether or not the organization would identify itself as a social or service organization. In the end the organization identified itself as a "service/social" organization. During this early history, word has spread about Omega Delta Phi to another man named Jaime Mendez. Mendez seeing the potential in the organization started his own chapter of Omega Delta Phi at the University of Texas at El Paso. The chapter was founded without the consent of the original Texas Tech Chapter. After some minor controversy, the chapters reconciled their differences and set up an expansion strategy that spread across the country.
Entities
Chapters
- Α - Texas Tech University - Lubbock, TX - Central Region
- Β - University of Texas, El Paso - El Paso, TX - Southwest Region
- Γ - University Of Arizona - Tucson, AZ - Southwest Region
- Δ - Texas A&M University - College Station, TX - East Texas Region
- Ε - Arizona State University - Tempe, AZ - Southwest Region
- Ζ - Eastern New Mexico University - Portales, NM - Central Region
- Η - Sam Houston State University - Huntsville, TX - East Texas Region
- Θ - West Texas A&M University - Canyon, TX - Central Region
- Ι - Northern Arizona University - Flagstaff, AZ - Southwest Region
- Κ - New Mexico State University - Las Cruces, NM - Southwest Region
- Λ - University of Washington - Seattle, WA - Northwest Region
- Μ - Midwestern State University - Wichita Falls, TX - Central Region
- Ξ - University of Oklahoma - Norman, OK - Central Region
- Ο - University of Wisconsin, Parkside - Kenosha, WI - Midwest Region
- Π - University of Houston - Houston, TX - East Texas Region
- Ρ - Texas State University - San Marcos, TX - Central Texas Region
- Σ - Southern Methodist University - Dallas, TX - North Texas Region
- Τ - University of Texas at Arlington - Arlington, TX - North Texas Region
- Υ - Washington State University - Pullman, WA - Northwest Region
- Χ - University of Texas at Austin - Austin, TX - Central Texas Region
- Ω - Memorial Chapter
- ΑΑ - Northwestern University - Evanston, IL - Midwest Region
- ΑΒ - Michigan State University - Lansing, MI - Midwest Region
- ΑΓ - University of Texas–Pan American - Edinburg, TX - Central Texas Region
- ΑΕ - Tarleton State University - Stephenville, TX - North Texas Region
- ΑΖ - University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee - Milwaukee, WI - Midwest Region
- ΑΗ - University of New Mexico - Albuquerque, NM - Southwest Region
- ΑΘ - Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR - Northwest Region
- ΑΙ - Texas A&M University, Commerce - Commerce, TX - North Texas Region
- ΑΚ - California State University Monterey Bay - Seaside, CA - Pacific Region
- ΑΛ - Stephen F. Austin State University - Nacogdoches, TX - East Texas Region
- ΑΜ - Texas A&M University–Kingsville - Kingsville, TX - Central Texas Region
- ΑΝ - University of the Pacific - Stockton, CA - Pacific Region
- ΑΞ - Baylor University - Waco, TX - North Texas Region
- ΑΟ - University of Texas, Dallas - Dallas, TX - North Texas Region
- ΑΠ - St. Mary's University - San Antonio, TX - Central Texas Region
- ΑΡ - Texas Southern University - Houston, TX - East Texas Region
- ΑΣ - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign - Urbana, IL - Midwest Region
- ΑΤ - Texas A&M International University - Laredo, TX - Central Texas Region
- AY - University of Florida - Gainesville, FL - Southeast Region
- AΦ - University of Nevada, Las Vegas - Las Vegas, NV - Southwest Region
- AΧ - University of North Texas - Denton, TX - North Texas Region
- ΑΨ - University of California, Merced - Merced, CA - Pacific Region
Colonies
- Missouri State University - Springfield, MO - Midwest Region
- California State University, Dominguez Hills - Carson, CA - Pacific Region
- Loyola University of Chicago - Chicago, IL - Midwest Region
- University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh - Oshkosh, WI - Midwest Region
- University of Idaho - Moscow, ID - Northwest Region
- Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, IL - Midwest Region
- Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania - Lock Haven, PA - Northeast Region
- Northeastern Illinois University - Chicago, IL - Midwest Region
- University of Wisconsin, Madison - Madison, WI - Midwest Region
- University of Illinois at Chicago - Chicago, IL- Midwest Region
- ΑΔ - University of Texas at San Antonio - San Antonio, TX - Central Texas Region
Alumni Organizations
- Dallas/Fort Worth
- El Paso
- Oklahoma
- San Antonio
- Phoenix, Arizona
- South California
- Northeast
- San Marcos, TX
- Pullman, WA
- Tucson, AZ
References
Others
Not to be confused with:
- Omega Delta Phi, Inc. - Local Fraternity founded in 1933 at Cooper Union, NY. Defunct in 1972.
- Omega Delta Phi Sorority - Local Sorority founded in 1960 at Potsdam State, NY. Still active.
Categories:- National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations
- North-American Interfraternity Conference
- Student societies in the United States
- Latino organizations
- Youth organizations based in Arizona
- Organizations based in Phoenix, Arizona
- Organizations established in 1987
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