Many changes have taken place around Fraternity Circle over the summer. 

One of these changes resulted in the loss of the Kappa Sigma’s opportunity to live in their home on campus.

In December of the 2014 school year, the fraternity was told that they were on probation and there was a possibility that they could lose their house going into this school year.

Unfortunately, the members of Kappa Sigma did not meet the required occupancy quota to remain in their home in 2015-2016.  

When it comes to having the privilege of living in a fraternity house, the university has put a point system in place, in which the fraternity must meet in order to remain living in their home.  

If the fraternity does not meet the number of points required, they go on housing probation for two semesters.  

If they fail to gain the number of points needed to remain in the home, they are told they will are ineligible to live in their home on fraternity circle. 

A similar situation happened with the Tau Kappa Epsilon chapter last school year when they did not meet their occupancy.

“Our point total is 28 and we fell two points short,” said TKE President Byron Corzo. “We lived out last semester in the house spring 2013 and then lived on half  of a floor in Clayton the next school year.”

While TKE spent the school year attempting to regain ownership of their home, the house, for the most part, remained vacant. 

Once a fraternity is kicked out of their house, they are the first ones who have the opportunity to gain it back. Members can fill out an application providing residents life the information about who will be living in the house the next year and ensure the home will meet the required quota for both the fall and the spring.

Following the submission of the application, the fraternity will go through an evaluation by the offices of Greek Life and Residents Life before going through the Dean of Students and the Cabinet, who has the final vote on whether or not the fraternity is allowed to move back into their home.

TKE completed all of these tasks and regained their house for this school year.

After Kappa Sigma was removed from their home after the spring 2015 semester, plans began taking place for what was to come of the home for the 2015-2016 school year.

Unlike last year, the university and Residents Life department decided to do something more useful with the house rather keep it vacant all year. 

Housing Coordinator Sarah Toby said leaving these houses vacant can not only cause wear and tear to the building, but did not make sense this school year as a result of the dramatic increase of the incoming freshman class.

“We had a lot of students coming in to where campus was at capacity,” said Toby. “So to have buildings sitting empty and spaces we are not using, it gives us more flexibility in housing when we use all the spaces that we have.”

As a result, the Kappa Sigma house was transformed into the CASA house over the summer.  

This new residence serves as a learning and living community for freshman students who are studying similar majors.

“When we came in as new members of the Residents Life staff, we saw this house as a good opportunity to utilize the space, rather then letting it sit vacant like the TKE house did last school year,” said Toby. “We looked at some short term options for the home so if the Kappa Sigma’s did reapply and are granted their house back the following year, it would be easy to take that group out.”

In hopes to gain their home back, Kappa Sigma is working hard this year to increase their numbers. Although, as a result of not having a house, it becomes difficult for the fraternity to bring everyone together at a place they can call “their home.”

“For recruitment it was difficult because we could not bring people all together in a place that we can call our home,” said Wallace. “But we made the best of it and just had to try and find different locations to host events during recruitment.”

In last weekend’s recruitment, Kappa Sigma was only able to add one member to their fraternity, although they are looking at a number of open bids, some freshman and some upper classmen as well.

“I can’t say that the house is the reason why we did not get as many people as we wanted,” said Wallace. “Recruitment is recruitment and when somebody finds their home, that is where they will go. In my eyes, not as many people found their home in Kappa Sig, but we are hoping to find more people to join us.”

Only time will tell if the members of Kappa Sigma are able to regain their home for next school year, but until then, the home will be put to good use rather than left vacant.

 “Although we are disappointed that we do not have our house, it is being utilized well through the university,” said Wallace.