By Susannah Waite, Staff Writer & Amanda Alfanos, Editor-in-Chief

Members of a campus fraternity are adjusting to accommodate the size of their chapter with the addition of their largest-ever pledge class. Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers want to raise $100,000 by Jan. 1, 2011, to build a new house. The fraternity’s members realized the week after Bid Day that they needed a new house. Chapter meetings are hosted in an undisclosed location due to a lack of space in the current house.

Fraternity events are off campus or outside of the house, said John Riesenberg, economics senior and Kappa Sigma member. “The house has character, but it’s old and repair costs are high and with membership increase, there isn’t enough room to hold a functional meeting in the house,” he said. Discussion about getting a new house have been ongoing for the past 15-20 years but, until now, no plans were made.

Illustration: Donald Ashwood & Marianne Pickens/The Campus

Members Jeff Poulin, John Riesenberg and Ethan Davis decided a new house was necessary and feasible. “We came to the realization that we have to quit relying on others,” Riesenberg said. “We had to take the matter into our own hands and just do it.”

The idea was announced to the entire group at a Sept. 19 meeting. The next thing the fraternity will do is raise money. “I’ve sent out letters to alumni, letting them to know our plans and to get their support,” said Davis, the fraternity’s president. “Now we will prepare different committees. We expect to start fundraising within the next couple weeks.”

The fraternity’s members plan to work at University of Oklahoma football games and Ford Center events. They said they hope to show alumni their hard work to gain support for the new house. Fraternity dues will not increase and no money from membership dues will go toward the new house. A small part of the dues are for house upkeep, to keep the old house running until the new house it built, Davis said.

Tim Johnson, a Kappa Sigma pledge, said he supports the house effort. “I think it’s awesome that they have this mindset to stop at nothing,” the acting freshman said. “I am happy they are so determined, and I’m proud to be a part of the group.”

The fraternity owns the current house, while the university would own the new house. If built, the house would be the first in a potential “Greek village.” The new house would be built on the north side of the baseball field.

“Our goal is $100,000 by Jan. 1, but that doesn’t mean we stop fundraising,” Davis said. “University officials have told us the house will probably cost about $1 million.”

John Reisenberg

The $100,000 is a down payment, Riesenberg said. After the $100,000 was raised, the fraternity would find someone to finance the house through a bank, and then pay off the money as though they were renting the house, he said.

University officials have thought about moving all the houses to create a Greek village, but the money was not there to fund all the houses. “We volunteered to be the first house to move,” Davis said. “We want to raise the money for the new house and for the school’s vision.”

Liz Donnelly, associate vice president for student affairs, said the themed housing concept is necessary due to increases in undergraduate enrollment, but currently isn’t feasible. “We can’t activate this without money,” she said. “There isn’t sufficient funding available. This is so far away from being a project. It’s totally in the exploratory stage.”

She said it’s up to the fraternity brothers to raise funds for the new house. “I have no idea what their resources are,” she said. “Kappa Sigma wants a new house, and they’re asking alumni to help.”

The current house has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a study room, and a basement. The new house would be at least two stories and could include 20-25 bedrooms, a game room, laundry room, kitchen, living room, and a basement, Davis said. “We are still talking to the school about what the new house would include because the house will be owned by the university, but we do get a say in many of the amenities the new house would include,” he said.

The expected completion date for the house is not set, but Riesenberg is hopeful it will be ready for Spring 2012. “I’d love for the junior class right now to be able to hold their last chapter meeting inside our new house,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Page 1 of the October 6th, 2010 issue of The Campus.