One of the many houses being upgraded on Greek Row for the coming semester will bear the letters of Delta Kappa Epsilon, a house that has not had an active chapter on campus for four years. This will be as a result of a return agreement established after the chapter’s suspension due to violation of university policy involving illegal drugs.
Kristin Torrey, Director of Greek Life, assured that these types of return agreements are standard at Vanderbilt when a chapter loses their recognition.
“A plan has been outlined with the national organization and the University for the future of Delta Kappa Epsilon on campus,” Torrey said. “We have been working with a group of local alumni for several years to plan for a successful re-establishment of the fraternity.”
Chapters with return agreements with the Office of Greek Life generally come back to campus at their first opportunity, as the national organizations want the intelligent and passionate students that Vanderbilt cultivates, according to Interfraternity Council President Harith Alappat.
However, the push for the reintroduction of this fraternity on-campus did not only come from the national level. Students on campus have expressed enthusiasm regarding starting an interest group for DKE in the fall, according to Torrey.
Because the return agreement is outlined years in advance, there are not usually logistical issues with the reestablishment of chapters on campus, Alappat said. For this reason, he does not foresee any issues with the arrival of DKE.
Ultimately, Torrey sees this addition as something that could be beneficial for the Greek community as a whole, as illustrated through the several other fraternities that have recently returned to campus.
“Over the last several years it has been positive for the Greek community as it can draw in new students who are not currently thinking about membership in Greek life, and it provides excitement and energy by adding a new group,” Torrey said.
In a similar way, Alappat emphasized that every fraternity has its own personality, so adding a new group will open doors for students who may not have found a home in IFC previously.
“The IFC community is strongest when we have many perspectives and voices represented in as many chapters as possible,” Alappat said. “DKE offers the perfect opportunity to build a strong network of friends, and to cultivate a chapter culture that may not be represented on campus at the moment.”
