After one and two years off of the Greek Quadrangle, respectively, Delta Upsilon and Kappa Sigma will return to their former fraternity houses next fall. However, this move affects more students than those in these two fraternities. In the time that DU's and KapSig's houses have been open, both were renovated as part of a previously-formed plan to improve Greek housing and are currently occupied by first-year students. Also, if either fraternity house did not regain its place on the Quad, one of the Panhellenic sororities would be given the opportunity to move on.

KapSig's problems began two years ago after hazing allegations were printed in The Tartan newspaper. The story went nationwide, and Kappa Sigma's national charter was revoked, reducing the fraternity's status to a colony. Delta Upsilon lost its house on the Greek Quad approximately a year later after a University Disciplinary Council decision regarding furnishing alcohol to minors.

The two fraternities faced similar consequences. In addition to losing their chapter houses, both were required to complete many hours of community service and workshops, and were subject to membership review from their nationals. Kappa Sigma was also responsible for proving to their nationals that the fraternity deserved to regain its charter.

In Delta Upsilon, every brother and pledge had to participate in a total of 50 hours of service, and also pay for and attend a day-long alcohol summit. Andrew Melichar, CFA junior and DU president, reported that many of the community service hours were done through organizations in DU members' hometowns and at Carnegie Mellon through community events such as Delta Delta Delta's Spaghetti Dinner and Spring Carnival booth. Melichar declined to comment on the results of DU's membership board review.

DU recruited nine new members this year. Melichar said that the fraternity would "absolutely" have larger pledge classes once they moved back onto the Greek Quadrangle.

"We're all very excited," Melichar said regarding the move back to the Quad. "We're all committed to stay there now that we're back on."

Cale Magruder, CIT sophomore and Kappa Sigma's president, reported that KapSig was given two years to complete 2,500 community service hours and get their membership up to 50 brothers and pledges before they could be given their charter back. Now that the colony has fulfilled these requirements, the brothers and pledges have to participate in Kappa Sigma's national "Brothers in Action" program, which involves workshops and fees. Once they have finished the program, the chapter will be rechartered.  

For their community service hours, Kappa Sigma worked primarily with the organization Pittsburgh Cares, performing "literally thousands of hours" of community service through that group. KapSigs have also participated in many service events on campus.

"Pretty much anything we can find, we've signed up for," said Magruder.

Magruder also hopes that Kappa Sigma will continue to perform a great amount of community service to improve the image of Greek Life on campus.

Getting Kappa Sigma's membership up to 50 was as much of a daunting task as was completing the 2,500 hours of service. As with Delta Upsilon, Kappa Sigma underwent a review board. According to Magruder, only five active Kappa Sigma members remained afterwards; all others were expelled or suspended from the fraternity. In their first semester off-campus as a Kappa Sigma colony, they only recruited four new members.

However, in the 2005-2006 school year, the fraternity recruited 24 members.

"Really it's been time and effort," Magruder said about how they were able to increase their membership. He also said that living in Special Interest Housing in Margaret Morrison Apartments for the fraternity's second year off of the Quad has helped them maintain visibility on campus.

Currently, Delta Upsilon and Kappa Sigma's houses on the Greek Quadrangle are used by first-years. Forbes House and Global Studies House are application-based freshmen living communities. Residence in Forbes House is offered to first-years whose applications show strong leadership and community service work in high school. Global Studies House is a residential option that was offered to all incoming first-years, but the house filled within four hours of an e-mail notification of the housing option.

As HSS senior Darbi Roberts' Fifth Year Scholars project, a leadership-based community like Forbes House called PLACE (Program for Leadership And Civic Engagement) will survive next year in a different residential area, but Global Studies will cease to exist for the time being. Andy Butler, SHS senior and Community Advisor for the two first-year houses, believes it's important to maintain these special-interest freshmen living communities.

"In three or four years, the movers and shakers on this campus will be Global Studies residents," Butler predicted.

"In one year, they've definitely made an impact," added Rachelle Emard, HSS sophomore and Global Studies' Resident Assistant.

Butler and Emard's residents have taken the initiative for projects such as hosting the IAESTE Japanese Etiquette Dinner and working with the local Boys and Girls Club for community service. Many have also applied and been accepted in student leadership positions as EcoReps and Resident Assistants.

Although both Butler and Emard wish that both the Global Studies and Forbes House communities could survive next year, they support the fraternities moving back to the Quad.

"If they fulfill their requirements, then they deserve to get their houses back," said Emard. However, she added that the first-years take good care of the houses, and that she'll be "disappointed" if the houses aren't taken care of next year when the fraternities move back in.

Interim Dean of Student Affairs Jennifer Church said that she believes the communities built at Forbes and Global Studies can be recreated elsewhere on campus in a different residential building.

"It's not necessarily that they had the physical structure [of the Quad houses]," said Church. "It was never our intention for those to be first-year living areas… It was intended for the Greek community."

The renovations done on Kappa Sigma and Delta Upsilon's houses on the Greek Quadrangle have been part of the University's housing plan for some time. Over the past few years and for the next few, all of the houses on the Greek Quad will be renovated.

"This is more than a cosmetic renovation," said Lenny Chan, the fraternities' housefellow. "It's making them more functional and practical for 2006."

The money for the renovations are taken from the lease payments on the houses from the fraternity brothers and sorority sisters who are housed there.

KapSig and DU's return to the Greek Quadrangle also leaves the women's fraternity Kappa Alpha Theta as the lone female residence on the Quad. When the fraternity Delta Tau Delta lost its national charter and fraternity house in the fall of 2004, Kappa Alpha Theta was randomly selected as the first sorority to move onto the Quad. Delta Gamma was next in line to move onto the Quad if KapSig or DU did not return this year.

"Although it would have been wonderful to have another Greek women's organization on the Quad," said Aubrey Donnellan, CIT junior and Theta's president, "I know the incredible effort that both Kappa Sigma and Delta Upsilon have put forth into regaining their facilities."

Donnellan hopes that, while she firmly believes KapSig and DU deserve their houses back, sorority housing will also be improved in the near future.

"There are significant residential changes that should be made to accommodate the women that are running rather large organizations in eight-bedroom townhouses [in Margaret Morrison Apartments]," Donnellan stated.

Delta Gamma's president could not be reached for comment.

Regarding this topic, Church mentioned in her interview that "chapter membership ebbs and flows," and that the original housing plans for Greek Life – 32-bed houses for the fraternities and 16-bed houses for the sororities – will have to be reevaluated in the near future. As Greek Life and first-year classes continue to grow, Housing and Dining Services will continue to accommodate them as best they can by renovating old buildings and acquiring new space on and off campus.

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