Phi Sigma Kappa takes over Acacia fraternity residence

The former Acacia house will sit vacant along Third Street, but only for this school year.

Phi Sigma Kappa’s Alumni Housing Board members signed a lease in August, allowing the fraternity to lease Acacia’s house for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years, Phi Sig President Matt Cotton said.

The chapter will have the option of renewing the lease for a third year.

Acacia’s charter was revoked in May after instances of drug dealing, drug use and hazing, according to a report issued by the University.

“Acacia was not notified of their removal from campus until the school year was already over,” Cotton said. “So we didn’t know either.”

Phi Sig has been an off-campus fraternity for the past two years.

“What we’ve done the last two years, most of the members have lived at Tenth and College in the apartments there,” sophomore member Jimmy Blodgett said.

The fraternity was established as an on-campus fraternity in 1949 and stayed on campus until its chapter was removed from IU in the 1970s, Cotton said.

In 2001, Phi Sig was rechartered and stayed on campus until 2011.

Until 2010, the fraternity had a four-year lease for the Alpha Epsilon Pi house. When the lease ended, AEPi wanted to reclaim the house, Cotton said.

“We don’t own property on campus,” he said. “When other frats are kicked off, we often become tenants in the house.”

Cotton said about 60 of the fraternity’s 111 members currently live at Tenth and College. About 75 members will be able to live in the house next year.

“Our alumni board is working very hard to secure a permanent location somewhere on campus in the next few years,” Cotton said.

Other off-campus fraternities were interested in the former Acacia house as well.
Both Blodgett and Cotton said they are excited to be moving back on campus next year.

“We have a lot of respect for the Acacia guys for letting us live there,” Blodgett said.