Last semester after a series of violations, misconduct, and an extreme instance of drunk driving, the University of Rhode Island chose to suspend the Rho Iota Kappa chapter of Chi Phi. While their fate hung in the balance for quite some time as the university and the fraternity deliberated, the ultimate decision was to remove the chapter from campus and to give the remaining brothers that lived in the house until the end of the semester to find new living arrangements.
With Chi Phi vacating the house, it soon became apparent that the fraternities and sororities without on campus houses would be interested in acquiring 11 Fraternity Circle..
People took to the anonymous social media site, Yik Yak, posting things like “Kappa Sig should take Chi Phiâ€, “Give it to KDâ€, and  “CHI PHI FOREVERâ€.
As of this semester, the Theta Theta chapter of Kappa Delta has acquired a five-year lease for the house and some of the sisters have already moved in.
“Over break we had received emails about KD trying to get the house and nationals approving us,†explains a freshman that joined Kappa Delta in October of last semester, after Fall Rush.
Until now, Kappa Delta was the only social sorority at URI to not have their own on campus house, and instead rented out several rooms in the back of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI).
“There are currently 20 girls living in the new house and they are all new KD members,†said one of the sisters of Kappa Delta who wished to remain anonymous.
As for the rooms in the back of FIJI, the Kappa Delta sisters who already reside there will keep their rooms until the end of the semester as per their arrangement with the fraternity, “We had a year lease with them, so until the end of the year we will have girls still living in FIJI,†the sister explained, “after that the boys will move new members in who want to live in the house.â€
While Kappa Delta holds the lease, they were not the only organization that showed interest. A Kappa Delta sister explains, “Theta Chi was trying to get the house before us but didn’t get approved by nationals which gave us the opportunity.â€
One of the brothers of Chi Phi added “pretty much everyone outside of Chi Phi seemed to have an idea of who was going to get the house,†and “everyone was glad to hear that it was going to be used by another Greek organization.â€
Talks of academic usage of the building were in the works, however they never panned out; one brother explains “it was going to be used as an additional administrative building for the university, so I think most of us just wanted it to be used for another Greek organization.â€
Happy for Kappa Delta to receive the opportunity to experience the place he called home for a year and a half, one brother from Chi Phi said, “of course I miss living in the house, it was an awesome group of guys to live with. Most of us are still friends and see each other so not much has changed other than an on-campus presence.â€
A sister of Kappa Delta remarked that from what she has witnessed there has been no backlash from moving into the Chi Phi house saying, “From what I’ve heard I have not heard anything extremely serious about Chi Phi, like of course they’re going to be a little upset we got their house but since then they have actually been friendly towards us.â€
One sister added “The rest of Frat Circle is still kinda getting used to the idea that we’re a sorority, because we are pretty new, but they don’t act differently towards us because of it,†and that they definitely feel welcomed to the community.
One thing that has yet to change are the letters on the outside of the house, “the front letters came off over break so I’m surprised they haven’t gotten the ones on the side as well as the PIK charter letters,†said a Chi Phi brother, “there are also letters in the house that cannot come out without construction so I’d imagine those will stay,†he explained.
No sister of Kappa Delta was available to comment on when or if they will be switching out the letters at least on the outside of the house.