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Sunday, Nov. 17
The Indiana Daily Student

Fraternity celebrates 90 years

Kappa Alpha Psi rededicates plaque

Kirkwood Avenue has created many memories for IU students since it was first constructed.\nFor Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, the history runs deep and holds strong. The Jiffy Treet ice cream parlor, 425 W. Kirkwood Ave., is not just a place for members of the house to get ice cream, but a place where they can trace their origin.\nSaturday, the house celebrated its 90th anniversary with a rededication ceremony of the plaque in front of Jiffy Treet, the place of the fraternity's first gathering.\nThe plaque was a gift to the fraternity on its 75th anniversary in 1986 from the International Fraternity Council's Headquarters in Philadelphia. At that time, the wrong date was engraved in it, but after much debate was left incorrect. A tree is also scheduled to be planted on Kirkwood to accompany the memorial of the fraternity's founding.\nThe ceremony included speeches by senior Darrell Perry, Kappa Alpha Psi's polemarch, Dean of Students Richard McKaig and adviser and alumnus Kevin King.\nThe speeches noted the history of the fraternity, the motivation the founders brought to future brothers and the importance of the Jiffy Treet location. Members and alumni gathered in support of each other and to pay tribute to the founders.\n"The ceremony gave us a chance to revisit the history," senior Herbert Kimble II, vice-polemarch, said. "It was an inspirational moment."\nKing said the event showed how many positive gains the fraternity has made. He referred to the acceptance of the fraternity as more than an African-American house, but as a group of men who contribute to the community.\n "It capped off a weekend after a spiritual week," King said.\nOriginally, the property behind Jiffy Treet was owned by the Profitt family, which lent its house to the fraternity's founders in 1911.\nPerry said the fraternity brothers held their first grand chapter Jan. 5 of that year. Since then, more than 400 chapters of Kappa Alpha Psi have been created worldwide, with the fraternity stemming from the Alpha chapter at IU.\nAmong the 10 founders was Elder Watson Diggs, who became grand polemarch of the house and brought together brothers to share in the organization's beliefs, Perry said.\nThe rededication ceremony could not be held Jan. 5 this year because of the winter break, and ceremonies in Indianapolis, at the Diggs' burial place, were held Jan. 7-14. All chapters nationwide were invited, Kimble said.\nKimble said the fraternity's original name was Kappa Alpha Nu, but in 1915, members changed the name to the current letters to deter racial slurs.\nA symbolic meaning gives foundation to the house because it has stood strong through the Civil War, both World Wars and the chaos of the 1960s and '70s, Perry said. The members wanted an environment suitable to achievement and encouragement, and they wanted to be known as inspirational figures.\nPerry said the 10 founders, particularly Diggs, are models of personal achievement. He said Diggs was a respectable man who still bestows that on members.\n"He has given me pretty big shoes to fill," Perry explained. "The house gives motivation and creates an atmosphere to get involved"

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