Trading spaces: Changes on the quad

This summer will bring a major change to the fraternity quadrangle. Fraternity Delta Upsilon (DU) will not be renewing its lease for the upcoming school year, vacating its house on the fraternity quad. Sorority Delta Gamma (DG) will take up residence in the house once DU’s lease expires, according to Student Life representatives Monica Bebie and Holly Hippensteel.

“Delta Gamma will be moving into 5031 Forbes Avenue this summer and will be signing a new lease,” Hippensteel said.

The decision was made by Tim Michael, director of Campus Services, who effectively serves as the landlord of Greek housing. However, he approached the Panhellenic Council for a recommendation as to who should live in the house next year.

The Panhellenic Council is the governing body of the Panhellenic Association (PHA), which is composed of representatives from all five sororities on campus. The PHA exists to develop and maintain relations between sororities on campus, as well as the larger campus Greek community, according to Carnegie Mellon’s Greek life website.

The Panhellenic Council, under former president Amy Shields, held a forum to determine the best candidate. Ultimately, they decided that Delta Gamma was the most logical choice since the sorority is in need of more space for their members.

“It just made the most sense since [Delta Gamma was] already planning on expanding,” said Kerra Doyle, current Panhellenic Council president.
Delta Gamma sisters had planned to knock down a wall in their current house in order to expand to fit more members. Moving into Delta Upsilon’s house will save them this work, since the house is bigger and has more beds.

The Panhellenic Council presented the recommendation to Michael, who agreed with their choice in his final decision.

This is not the first time that Delta Upsilon has had to leave the quad. The chapter lost its lease for the 2005–2006 school year due to an underage drinking violation. The university allowed the fraternity to move back into the house last summer — a return that proved to be short-lived.

It is also not the first time that a sorority has been asked to move into a vacated fraternity house: Kappa Alpha Theta moved into Delta Tau Delta’s house on the fraternity quad in the fall of 2005.

While the details surrounding Delta Upsilon’s move off the quad emerge, Hippensteel and Bebie confirmed that the fraternity will be leaving for financial reasons and Delta Gamma will take their place.

“The fact that Delta Upsilon isn’t coming back is not a secret,” said Hippensteel.

Representatives from Delta Upsilon and Delta Gamma could not be reached for comment.