Fraternity dedicated to outdoor life

By DARREN STEELE
Collegian Staff Writer

There are a lot of myths about fraternities. Some say frat life is too structured or high class. Although members believe this rap to be false, one particular fraternity at Penn State is in a class of its own, primarily because of the sport its members avidly pursue.

Tau Phi Delta, 427 E. Fairmount Ave., is located in the heart of Penn State's fraternity district and is in its 74th year of promoting outdoor excellence and good brotherhood. The members of this frat all have one thing in common -- they love the outdoors and the sport it provides.

"We are quite a bit different than other frats," President Gregg Horvat said. "We have quite a bond here. We don't haze; we have a constructive program."

The fraternity's house has the feel of an old lodge, full of stories, laughter and friendship. The planning room is occupied by a giant stuffed black bear (415 pounds), deer mounts and trophy fish, all of which were caught by brothers past and present.

Most of the furniture is wood and resembles a mountain cabin, a home all too familiar to hunters and fishermen.

The members themselves are as diverse a group you will ever meet. Majors range from engineering to forestry. Its mascot is a golden lab named Dakota. This docile dog is truly man's best friend as he brings a ray of life into all rooms of the house.

This frat doesn't fool around. Each brother is expected to pull his weight by doing different chores each week to keep the house respectable. There is mandatory study time from 7-11 p.m. on weekdays, while weekends are left for the finer things -- hunting, fishing, camping and general partying.

The outdoors truly hold a special niche in all members' hearts. During the year, the group plans hunting and fishing excursions as well as trap shooting and archery contests. These activities give the group time to bond.

"Right now, my dad is on the other side of the state," brother Tom Wisniowski said. "I need someone to hunt with."

To understand Wisniowski's desire, one needs only to be an outdoorsman, or for that matter, a Pennsylvania native. The Keystone State is home to one of the largest populations of hunters in the world.

"Tradition, that is what it is about," Horvat said. "My father hunted with his father, I hunted with my father, and someday I will teach my kids to do the same."

The club's alumni association looks out for its members, as brothers have found jobs all over the United States including Wyoming, Texas and Pennsylvania.

The house is devoted to doing whatever it can to help the sport it loves. Members get together with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and other bureaus to lend a hand in any outdoor conservation project they can.

To be a me`mber, one need not be an avid outdoorsman. Past members have joined to learn about the outdoors; some had never even shot a gun or cast out a line.

There are a lot of things that make this frat one of Penn State's finest, but perhaps the main one is the brotherhood, according to Horvat.

"Hunting is not the main attraction here," he said, "it's how we get along."