After a series of swaps and switches, some Greek organizations will find a new home on Eagle Row for the upcoming academic year.
Delta Tau Delta (DTD) fraternity is set to take over the house where Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike) members reside. Sigma Alpha Mu (Sammy) and Beta Theta Pi (Beta) fraternities are also set to move onto Eagle Row for the 2018-2019 academic year, according to Senior Director of Housing Operations Elaine Turner.
Sororities Alpha Kappa Alpha and Kappa Alpha Theta are both set to return to campus’ Sorority Village after a one-year hiatus, according to Associate Director of Sorority and Fraternity Life Arthur Doctor. Delta Sigma Theta lost their on-campus housing in Lodge B.
“History and the size of the chapter that can occupy a particular house are key factors in determining which sorority and fraternity chapters reside on Eagle Row,” Turner wrote in a Feb. 26 statement to the Wheel.
All assigned housing placements are as of Feb. 26, per Turner. Occupancy changes or other decisions by chapters, nationals or the university could cause a change in the current housing plan, Turner told the Wheel.
LACKING MEMBERSHIP, PIKE LOSES 10 EAGLE ROW
Pike lost its house at 10 Eagle Row because it failed to recruit a sufficient number of members to live in the house.
“They haven’t been able to fill it, plain and simple. For the past two years they’ve had multiple vacancies,” Assistant Dean for Campus Life and Director of Sorority and Fraternity Life Marlon Gibson told the Wheel. “We’ve been praying and hoping that [Pike] would be at a place where they had a stronger membership this year.”
Pike President Zach Zlatin (19C) did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
DTD is set to occupy 10 Eagle Row next year with a one-year contract. The group currently cohabits 15 Eagle Row with fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp) and can now occupy a larger space due to its recruitment of new members, according to Gibson.
DTD will have 10 double rooms, or 20 beds, according to DTD President Neil Shahdadpuri (19B).
“It’s great to have our own house on the row,” Shahdadpuri said. “A big thing OSFL and IFC are trying to push for hopefully an all-Greek row, and, yes, we’re still inclusive of the [Black Student Association] BSA house and the [Media, Literature, and Arts Outreach] MLAO house but we also do want to bring back the pride of Greek life that Emory used to have.”
DTD’s current spot in 15 Eagle Row is set to be occupied by Beta, who had lost the house after it failed to meet the occupancy requirement in 2015. Beta initiated 30 new members February 2017 after the chapter underwent a reorganization after allegations that a member drugged a female student, the Wheel previously reported. The 15 Eagle Row house is where Beta has historically resided on campus, according to Gibson.
Beta hopes to fill 20 to 24 spots in the house out of 47 total beds, according to Beta chapter President Oliver Hart (20C).
“Moving back into our historic house is a big move forward for our fraternity; since our re-organization we have been working hard to establish ourselves as a strong group on campus, and with the addition of a house we will be able to increase our presence while also creating a great living environment for our brother,” Hart wrote in a Feb. 27 email to the Wheel.
Hart said Beta worked with the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life (OSFL) starting mid-Fall 2017, adding that the fraternity hopes to fill the entire house in the future.
SAMMY TO INHABIT 8 EAGLE ROW
Sammy is set to reside at 8 Eagle Row, which is currently inhabited by non-Greek affiliated sophomores, juniors and seniors.
“Sammy is one of our largest chapters, and they’ve been asking for a house for a long time,” Gibson said.
Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) occupied 8 Eagle Row from 2009 until the 2016-2017 academic year. The fraternity lost its on-campus housing after an investigation by the Office of Student Conduct uncovered violations of the Undergraduate Code of Conduct’s anti-hazing policy and the alcohol and drug abuse policy. ZBT also lost University recognition and is on disciplinary probation until Aug. 1, 2019, the Wheel reported Aug. 26, 2017. Gibson refused to answer questions regarding the current status of ZBT’s disciplinary review.
KAPPA ALPHA THETA RETURNS TO LODGE D
Kappa Alpha Theta is set to return to Lodge D in Sorority Village after a one-year absence at the insistence of the Theta national headquarters, which disallowed the chapter from accepting Emory’s housing offer for the 2017-2018 academic year. Nationals reached an agreement with the OSFL that the chapter would return to the lodge for the 2018-2019 academic year after a period of reorganization that included the resignation of the former chapter president, Virginia Dollins (18B), the Wheel reported August 2017.
ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA RETURNS TO LODGE A
After a one-year voluntary absence, sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha is set to return to Lodge A in the Sorority Village, according to Doctor. The sorority voluntarily gave up the lodge because it lacked enough members to fill the space. The organization will return to active status following a Spring 2018 recruitment period, according to Doctor. The lodge currently serves as sophomore housing.
DELTA SIGMA THETA VACATES LODGE B
Delta Sigma Theta sorority, which returned to campus Fall 2017 after a six-year absence after a four-year suspension for hazing in 2011, will vacate Lodge B in Sorority Village because the sorority is unable to fill the space. Instead, Housing plans to offer the six-bedroom space as female sophomore housing.
Richard Chess and Michelle Lou contributed reporting.
Editor’s note: Devin Bog and Jesse Weiner are editors on the Wheel and members of DTD. They were not involved in the composition or editing of this article.
Correction (2/28/18 at 4:45 p.m.): The previous headline "Pike Loses House; DTD, Sammy Join Eagle Row" was changed because DTD was already occupying 15 Eagle Row.
Pike to Leave Eagle Row; DTD Gets Own House; Sammy, Beta Join Row
New changes on Eagle row in 2018-19 include DTD moving into Pike’s former house and Beta returning to 15 Eagle Row./Christina Yan, Asst. News Editor
