Alpha Tau Omega

Utah State University will be welcoming a new fraternity to its campus in January.  Alpha Tau Omega took interest a few months ago, and starting in January the fraternity will be officially recognized as a chapter.

“Colonizing and getting student’s interest is the first step to becoming a chapter,” said Greek Advisor Alanna Hill. “Once they colonize, they will become an official chapter at Utah State.”

The announcement was made to the USU Greek community on Monday.

“I’m interested in seeing what kind of people ATO is going to attract,” Sigma Phi Epsilon Derek Kent said. “The houses we have on campus right now all have their stereotypes, so I hope they get some good guys.”

ATO was founded at Virginia Military Institute in 1865, and was originally founded on Christian, not Greek, principles. ATO was the first fraternity founded after the Civil War. Striving to heal the wounds created by the devastating war, ATO wanted to help reunite the North and South, according to the fraternity’s website.

One of ATO’s main standards is that of leadership. The fraternity developed The LeaderShape Institute in 1986. LeaderShape is considered to be one of the highest quality leadership training programs in the United States, according to the Institute’s website.

"I think with Alpha Tau being such a leadership-based fraternity that they will get a lot of quality people,” Kent said. “A few student government kids are planning on joining.”

The students that are currently interested in ATO will soon be assigned roles in the fraternity, so they can begin full force in January.

With the addition of ATO, the USU Greek community will have eight active Greek houses. The ATO interest group holds weekly meetings in the library and treat nights for potential members to attend.