There will be some changes for the living quarters of a few fraternities and sororities in Greektown this fall.
The men of Delta Sigma Phi will be moving into the old house of the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity, which lost its charter last year. The fraternity will be moving into its new home, which it occupied from 1930-1935, this fall, trading its East Rollins Street home for one across the street on Richmond Avenue.
The decision to move was made on the basis of better facilities, said Brian Brooks, associate dean for undergraduate studies at the School of Journalism and the chapter’s faculty adviser.
“Delta Sigma Phi is moving because the new property will house more men and has a parking lot,” Brooks said. “The old house has no parking whatsoever. We have gutted the property and are in the final stages of rebuilding it. It will be ready for occupancy in August.”
Another fraternity is already slated to move into Delta Sigma Phi’s old house.
“The old house, which Delta Sigma Phi still owns, is being rented next year by Beta Theta Pi,” Brooks said. “The Betas are tearing down their current house and rebuilding on the same site, as I understand it. They take occupancy of the old Delta Sig house on July 1.”
Across Greektown, rumors have arisen that Zeta Beta Tau has lost its house on South Fifth Street. Zeta Beta Tau President Brandon Connelly said this isn’t necessarily the case. Rather, the chapter is going through a rebuilding stage.
“The nationals will be stepping in to help in assessing members and in finding problem areas within the chapters,” he said.
As for the house, Zeta Beta Tau’s letters will be taken down, though members of the fraternity will still reside inside for the summer. In the fall, the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity will move into the property.
No matter the case, Connelly stressed that Zeta Beta Tau isn’t leaving campus.
“We are still on campus,” he said. “We’re still a chapter and a part of the IFC and will hopefully be looking for members in the fall but (we are) in the rebuilding stages. We needed help improving the programming but by next year we hope to be back.”
He said he hopes that by this time next year, the chapter will be operating on a higher standard than usual.
The Sigma Kappa sorority will be returning to campus in the fall of 2012 when it takes up residence at the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s current house on Curtis Avenue.
“They will be occupying the chapter house they previously occupied when they were present on campus,” Panhellenic Association spokeswoman Crystal Richardson told The Maneater earlier this month. “After Sigma Kappa left our campus the sorority leased their house to Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. Therefore, Sigma Kappa still owns the house currently occupied by Pi Kappa Phi and will simply be moving back into their own house that they had before.”
In another part of Greektown, Sigma Sigma Sigma will be building a new house. President Samantha Greene said the old structure, in the lot next to Pi Beta Phi and across from Delta Tau Delta, will be torn down in one or two months for the placement of the new home. The plan for the summer is to work at a fast pace so that the goal of the finished house being unveiled in fall 2012 will be achieved.
