ISC inherits Pike's place on Emory Frat Row

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ISC inherits Pike's place on Frat Row
University plans addition of new campus sorority


By David Marek
Staff Writer
February 08, 2005


After a fall semester full of changes for Greek life, University officials declared last week that more change is on the way.

As soon as next month, the Intersorority Council could start using the former Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house to hold its weekly meetings and next fall sorority members will begin living there.

Officials also plan to bring a new sorority chapter to campus. Among the candidates are Alpha Phi, Alpha Chi Omega and Gamma Phi Beta, sororites, according to Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Dan Richter.

Richter said administrators decided to move ISC into 22 Fraternity Row, the former Pike house, for financial and community-building reasons.

“[University Housing] needs to recoup money every year from the house, so to let it go unfilled for even this semester is taking a big hit for Emory University housing,” Richter explained. “Rather than just having 40 residents live in there they thought it would be more appropriate — and I agree — to continue to have a Greek presence on the row.”

The former Pike house has remained vacant since Dec. 17, the date set by Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life John Ford for the fraternity’s expulsion from campus for misbehavior.

Currently, ISC theme housing occupies the fourth and fifth floors of Harris Residence Hall.

Richter was not certain who specifically would be chosen to live in the house, although he said sorority leaders would probably be given priority.

This will not be the first time that a fraternity house has been converted into theme housing for ISC.

When the Sigma Nu and Phi Delta Theta fraternities were temporarily kicked off Fraternity Row in the early 1990s, their houses were converted into intersorority housing.

Richter said that the past ISC theme houses were successes.

“It worked out really well, there weren’t any problems,” Richter said. “The women enjoyed it, the men enjoyed it, of course, and I think we’re looking for the same thing here.”

The length of time ISC will occupy the house has yet to be determined. Richter said it would be influenced by the construction of sorority lodges, which are scheduled for completion in fall 2006.

Emory’s search for a new sorority began after the National Panhellenic Council — an umbrella organization for 26 sororities — told University officials that the school could support the addition of a new chapter, based in part on Emory’s recruitment numbers from the past few years.

“We recognized that there was enough of a niche for another [sorority] to come in and do well,” Richter said.

Emory created an extension committee, comprised of five students and three staff members, to choose from 11 interested sororities.

The committee met with the representatives and determined that the Alpha Phi, Alpha Chi Omega and Gamma Phi Beta were potential candidates for the extension.

According to Richter, Alpha Phi and Alpha Chi Omega sororities were selected as potential candidates because they were once members of the Greek community at Emory, giving them an established alumni base.

Gamma Phi Beta, which has never had a chapter at Emory, was selected because of its strength as an organization and its substantial national alumni base.

In Fall 2005, members of the chosen sorority from other schools will help establish a base membership for the new organization.

Richter hopes that with the help of the newly recruited members, the new sorority will be ready for spring recruitment.

“[The new sorority] will probably participate in Novemberfest as a full group, and the goal is for them to do 100 percent of recruitment on their own, with maybe some help from some of their advisors,” Richter said.