After feeling like he had to work to fit in as an Asian American during rush, Chris Lopez decided to help organize an Asian-American fraternity. Lopez (sophomore-biology) is one of 12 students working to promote Asian-American interests through the Greek system.

As a Filipino, Lopez didn't consider himself Asian before coming to University Park, but he wants the new fraternity to be inclusive of all Asians. "It's not Asian in the traditional sense," he said, adding that the fraternity allows members to learn Asian traditions other than their own.

Ajay Nair (junior-human development and family studies), president of the Asian American Student Coalition, said forming an Asian-American fraternity was only talked about until last September when the 12 men decided to found the fraternity.

Nair said the men have narrowed the national Asian-American fraternities down to three chapters. He said the national organizations have requested that their names not be released to save their integrity should they not be chosen. Members of these national Asian-American fraternities will visit next month.

The national chapters suggested to Nair that the Asian Americans work with other minority fraternities on campus.

Last semester a group of Hispanic students formed Phi Delta Psi fraternity, 509 Porter, and its president is eager to help the Asian-American fraternity.

Harold Jones, Phi Delta Psi president, said colonizing is not easy, but being associated with the Interfraternity Council helped them. A colony describes when a national organization organizes a new group of members who have not yet received national recognition.

But Nair is unsure if the Asian-American fraternity will be associated with IFC. Not many Asian-American students participate in IFC rush each semester and some Asian-American fraternities at other schools have created their own governing council similar to IFC, he said.

IFC Administrative Vice President Tom Dymek said he has already spoken to Nair and will meet with him this week to discuss the new organization. Dymek said IFC's expansion committee can play an important role for new fraternities.

"We provide a group of five fraternity presidents as diverse as possible to give them the most rounded advice we can," Dymek said.

IFC will offer to help the members write a constitution and form an education program, as well as provide information about risk-management policies, such as "bring your own beer."

Jones said having Phi Delta Psi and the Asian-American fraternity would be a plus for IFC. "All you can say right now is you have white fraternities and black fraternities," he said. "I think it'll give IFC more diversity."

Nair said the fraternity will not be exclusively Asian American --anyone is welcome. "We're not trying to get away from everyone else but get closer to the population itself," he said.

Scott Streett, a member of Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity, 339 Fraternity Row, said he welcomes another fraternity at the University and doesn't consider the new fraternity discriminatory.

"I guess they'll feel more comfortable around people with the same backgrounds," said Streett (junior-ceramic science and engineering).

Nair said the fraternity will be more political than social and will work with the University to institute programs for all Asian-American students on campus.

"Each chapter makes it what it wants to be," he said. "Basically our goal is to strengthen the Asian community on campus."