The Ashland University fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) received the news in late January that they will no longer be able to live in their house due to the low number of residents. According to TKE member and junior Tyler Watson, the residency of the Greek houses is controlled by a point system. It is one point if two members room together. If a member buys out a room then that is also one point.

Out of all of the fraternities that Ashland has to offer, TKE is the smallest of the four which can make meeting the point system very difficult along with recruiting.

“I wouldn’t say there’s a reason guys don’t live here. Rushing can be challenging with all the other fraternities and they are all well rounded,” Watson said. “So I believe anyone who joins Greek Life is looking for the same thing we all offer. Rushing is always an action we take. Always trying to get new guys to join. But like I said, it can be hard especially when people have so many other commitments. That’s usually a reason someone doesn’t join.”

The TKE fraternity currently has 27 points with the current number of guys living there but they needed to have 31 points by January 2 in order to keep their fraternity house.

“We’re working this semester on recruitment and already looking into next semester to see a huge jump in numbers,” TKE president Josh Johnston said.

This recruitment can be seen around campus through the posters that are advertising different events being held at the fraternity house while they still have it, and for students to come see their fraternity.

While there is no one is residing in the TKE house, Resident’s Life is planning on turning the house into another living learning community in fraternity circle.

A Living and Learning Community is a group of students who take several courses together, live near one another and participate in group activities together during their first year on campus.

Losing their house is not going to let this close-knit group of guys drift apart or lose their motivation that their fraternity has given them. They are continuing their traditions even outside the house. “Next year we’ll all try to room next to each other in a dorm,” Watson said. “But until we have the points needed we are not allowed to move back in.”

TKE has been at Ashland University since 1978 with their philanthropy being the Alzheimer’s Association and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital which the host the “TKE Tub Tug” to raise money for.

“It’s really upsetting cause a lot of the guys work really hard around here,” Watson said.