Winter 2026 Delta Upsilon Quarterly

The Delta Upsilon Quarterly team sat down with Will Takara, Purdue '28, at the 2026 Presidents Academy to learn more about him and his experience at the program.

Why did you join DU?

When I first came through DU's doors, I was treated with respect, and it felt like I was already there for a long time, even though I was only there for an hour or so by that point. I didn't feel like I was lesser than anyone. I felt like I was seeing eye to eye, and being treated with respect was a huge thing for me.

Why were you interested in running for Chapter President?

I'm super ambitious, and I'm always trying to find ways to grow as an individual. And in this case, grow the chapter. Our chapter is one of the bigger chapters that DU has, and I just want to keep growing it and grow our reputation and really share the values that we have, not just between our brothers, but across campus.

What has been the most impactful part of President's Academy so far?

I think definitely seeing how different chapters operate and what their chapter cultures are like has been really cool to see. Just getting certain perspectives on how they interpret the Four Founding Principles, how they interpret what it means to build a better man. I think that all has been a great experience for me.

What is one thing from President's Academy that you'll take back with you in terms of your leadership style?

I think we've honed in a lot on our top five strengths, and I think one thing I've always done, which hasn't been the greatest, is trying to better my weaknesses rather than enhancing my strengths. I've learned that I really need to hone in on my strengths and really use that in terms of my leadership style and let others who are stronger where I'm weaker take control and have them enforce those sorts of things.

What does DU mean to you?

DU is more than just a fraternity. We're beyond just the stereotypical fraternity. I know a lot of people are scared to go through recruitment. They see that fraternities are just parties, but DU has really represented something much more than that. Being a better man, being a gentleman, treating people the right way, and just really being influences on campus. And I think that's what DU is.