A new fraternity hopes to begin a Malibu chapter comprised of Pepperdine students.
RYAN HAGEN
News Assistant
Just one semester after Alpha Tau Omega was invited by the Inter Fraternity Council to start a new chapter at Pepperdine, a rogue fraternity has surfaced.
Kappa Sigma, which finished second in the bidding to become Pepperdine’s first new fraternity in half a decade has 46 students ready to pledge. But according to the official Greek community, their efforts are illegal.
“As of now Kappa Sigma is not authorized to colonize and any efforts to do so without the full consent of Pepperdine, Kappa Sigma National Fraternity, the IFC and Panhellenic are considered illegitimate and are not permitted,” said Student Organizations Coordinator Jake Gross in an e-mail to the Greek community.
Support from Pepperdine organizations has been weak at best. But Kappa Sigma National Fraternity, which is represented at more than 230 college campuses in North America, has participated in chartering attempts.
The association recognizes Pepperdine as an upcoming colony on its official Web site, and at the request of hopeful Kappa Sigma members at Pepperdine it sent Area 5 Recruitment Manager Kevin Madsen to meet with potential recruits.
“I was very impressed by the men who have petitioned to be members of the new colony,” Madsen said in a news release. “The entire group is composed of men with high academic goals, leadership qualities, who are service oriented and who are gentlemen. They are focused on giving back to the community and the campus.”
Kappa Sigma did not allow its prospective members to comment for this story.
The national organization called Pepperdine’s status “pending” until leaders meet with campus officials this week.
“This means the group is likely to be approved, but other further action such as the pledging ceremony and a Colony Kickoff are postponed,” Madsen said, who has helped charter colonies on five campuses this year, including Gonzaga.
The official Greek community interpreted the situation differently.
“Our plans are to re-evaluate the need for another fraternity mid-spring after ATO has finished their chartering process,” Gross said in a separate e-mail.
According to senior Chris Chang, president of the Inter-Fraternity Council at Pepperdine and member of Phi Delta Epsilon, their odds of acceptance have diminished since the spring.
“I’m definitely happy to see [students’] commitment to bringing a new fraternity on campus, but the fact that they went behind administration’s back might put a dent in their chances,” he said. “It definitely hurt them.”
The existing Greek community, which must approve any additional fraternities or sororities, has been hesitant to expand its numbers in the past.
“ATO is the only new fraternity to colonize in my four years here, but it’s been a very good process,” Chang said. “It’ll be a trial, and we’ll start considering a new fraternity next year based on how ATO does.”
Members of existing frats have been concerned that adding another Greek organization would funnel pledges away from existing fraternities and sororities, but pledge class sizes were roughly stable this year despite more than 40 students joining Pepperdine’s first ATO class.
“It’s a perk to be a founding father,” Chang said, explaining the number of students to join ATO last year and Kappa Sigma this year. “As time goes on, guys might drop and interest might be different. Fraternities tend to lose guys, but it depends on what the [the fraternity] does and stands for.”
An average of 50 members from any given fraternity will be at Pepperdine, Chang said.
There are 12 official Greek organizations on campus, which is less than many schools but preserves a similar size for each fraternity or sorority.
The qualities represented by a national fraternity and the benefits it could bring to campus determine which, if any, will become invited to colonize.
“It’s more than just a regular club or organization,” Chang said. “You join for life.”
11-16-2006