Fraternity looks for permanent home, remains positive

By Mike Nolan

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

When the school year ended this past spring, so did Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity’s three-year run as the inhabitant of the house at 1111 W. 11th St.

Tau Kappa Epsilon’s lease expired at the end of the school year and Delta Tau Delta fraternity, which owns the house, wanted to move its members back into the house. Tau Kappa Epsilon was left without a house for all members to live in and now its members will scatter around Lawrence.

Delta Tau Delta occupied the house from 1914 until 2001, when it disbanded as a fraternity because of decreasing membership numbers and insufficient funds.

The members of Delta Tau Delta built their membership to around 55 members, so the owners decided not to renew Tau Kappa Epsilon’s lease.

Tau Kappa Epsilon moved into the fraternity house three years ago after the Interfraternity Council expelled Phi Kappa Theta fraternity from campus in March 2005.

Prior to Fall 2005, Tau Kappa Epsilon was located at 1232 Ohio St. The Ohio Street house provided limited living space, so the fraternity leased the Delta Tau Delta house to allow more members to live under one roof.

Trevor Donnelly, Marietta, Ga., junior and house secretary, said he joined the fraternity in the Spring 2007 because he wanted to be part of the rebuilding process at Tau Kappa Epsilon and he thought he could make an impression on the fraternity.

“Tau Kappa Epsilon gave me an opportunity to rise quickly and be part of creating something,” Donnelly said. “Instead of joining something that is already established.”

Donnelly joined as part of a small pledge class and knew as soon as he moved in that the fraternity was in danger of losing the house.

He said the fraternity members had a special bond, which made them feel like old friends instead of just fraternity brothers.

“We say around the house that our fraternity is sort of like a gentlemen’s club,” Donnelly said.

He described the gentlemen’s club as a close-knit group of guys who like to socialize together.

Donnelly said he thought this was the reason the members would not have a hard time staying close when they scattered around Lawrence this fall.

Thirteen of the 30 Tau Kappa Epsilon members will move into one house this August. They will try to make that house the official chapter house, but they need to clear the decision with the Tau Kappa Epsilon national organization and their chapter corporation board.

If they succeed in specifying the new house as the official chapter house then, they will be able to hold all house and chapter meetings at that location.

Donnelly said this house would help keep the fraternity together, and the members who did not live in the new house promised to come around and stay active with the fraternity.

Tau Kappa Epsilon participated in formal rush this summer and Nolan Plous, Leawood, junior and rush chairman, tried to sell potential members on the idea that living in the dorms and joining the fraternity would be a positive thing.

“Pledges can get the best of both worlds by living in the dorms and being part of a fraternity,” Plous said.

Three incoming freshman signed on with Tau Kappa Epsilon and Plous said he is talking with four more potential candidates.

He said Tau Kappa Epsilon was in a transitional phase, but transition was something the fraternity had been through before.

“It’s a roller coaster,” Plous said. “Some good things happen and some bad things happen. With a fraternity, you just have to remain positive.”

— Edited by Mandy Earles

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