The Daily Northwestern > Campus

Northwestern students, Greek organizations react to AEPi's relocation

By Stephanie Haines

Published: Saturday, February 4, 2012

Updated: Monday, February 6, 2012

FRAT

Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer

AEPi moves, ZBT, Theta Chi to follow

The Tau Delta Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi will move from its current location, 562 Lincoln St., to 584 Lincoln St. effective Sept. 1, 2012, Patricia Telles- Irvin, vice president for student affairs, said in an email sent to the University community Friday.

According to the email, the new space will allow more members to live in the building. The email also said the new building is "more attractive."

"As a chapter we are very excited," AEPi President Adam Matsil said. "We have enjoyed our current house, though we have outgrown it. We appreciate the opportunity given to us."

Matsil said the chapter will tour the new venue at a future date.

Interfraternity Council President Patrick Schnettler said he was "very excited for AEPi." In his official statement, the McCormick junior said, "We are both excited and intrigued to see how the brand new location will help the chapter contribute to the greater Greek community and the entire Northwestern community."

Telles-Irvin's email also said AEPi is the first of three chapters to move from Lincoln Street. Theta Chi and Zeta Beta Tau are currently discussing with Northwestern plans to move from their current locations — 572 Lincoln St. and 576 Lincoln St., respectively — due to "deteriorating" building structures.

ZBT President and Medill junior Jon Rosenberg said he did not want to comment.

According to Theta Chi's press release, the fraternity will move from their current location to a new location that the University has yet to determine.

"We are happy AEPi could reach a housing solution with the University," said Theta Chi President and fifth-year McCormick senior Frank Jiruska. "We hope that Theta Chi and ZBT can reach similar solutions, and we hope AEPi's move goes smoothly."

Theta Chi's press release stated that the fraternity has resided at its current venue for 40 years. Similar to AEPi, Theta Chi, according to the press release, hopes to live in a nicer venue so they can continue to house their growing membership.  

stephaniehaines2015@u.northwestern.edu

Comments

3 comments
Anonymous
Fri Feb 10 2012 17:00
Clever strategy by the university. Take the pretty properties with a lake view, let they grow so old and dilapidated so that the residents want to move out, wait a little while until people wont notice, and then build a new, non-greek building to take advantage of the prime real estate.

Don't let them oust you greeks, make them fix your houses!

Anonymous
Tue Feb 7 2012 22:48
^to above comment. The "deteriorated" house (if this is true) has been housing students after being renovated.

The university has made two interesting releases: one stating that they look forward to providing more on-campus housing options (that MAY be apartment-style) by replacing "shuttered fraternity houses on Lincoln," while this one states that they are relocating these fraternities due to deteriorating housing conditions.

In the short term though, they are decreasing on-campus housing options for upperclassmen by relocating fraternities to existing largely single-room dorms. As of today, only one house has been "shuttered" on Lincoln and there will be 3 more as they relocate these 3 fraternities. Is it reasonable for the University to decrease student housing for the next few years because the university "hopes to house" more students in the future? It's a really nice idea, but I'd hope they consider the students who have trouble finding housing. The simple reality is that for the next few years the current student body will have LESS on-campus housing options due to an early relocation of these fraternities.

Anonymous
Mon Feb 6 2012 22:48
Note that this is the old Phi Kappa Sigma house, which was closed back in the 90's I believe because the house had allegedly deteriorated badly. That's the story, anyway.
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