Tri Delt to leave Locust Walk sorority house

The departure means the Women's Center is the Walk's lone female presence. The Delta Delta Delta sorority -- now the only sorority residing on Locust Walk -- will move out of its house in the center of campus this spring. The chapter leased the house at 3539 Locust Walk from the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity in 1994, when the national fraternity suspended the Penn chapter after it failed to meet a number of standards. The lease put a sorority on the Walk for the first time in the University's history. Although Phi Kappa Sigma brothers recolonized last February, they agreed to lease the house to Tri Delt for another year in order to re-organize, according to Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski. But the fraternity chapter plans to move back into their house next fall, making the Women's Center -- which moved from Houston Hall last year -- the only female presence on the Walk. With the return of Phi Kappa Sigma and Psi Upsilon -- who will reclaim the Castle next fall -- nine fraternities will be based on the Walk. Reikofski said fraternity dominance of the heart of campus is a remnant of the University's former all-male tradition. "Fraternities have resided on Locust Walk houses for so long, and they have no desire to move," Reikofski said. Panhellenic Council President and Tri Delt sister Jessica Lennon said the issue was "definitely something Panhel thought about and discussed with the University." "I would like to see more sorority presence on the Walk, and more female presence in general," the College senior said. But Lennon added that she does not "foresee that happening within the next few years," and predicted that a maximum of one sorority may find a location on Locust Walk within the next 10 years. InterFraternity Council President and Alpha Chi Rho brother Matt Baker said that although he would also like to see sororities on Locust Walk, he does want to force IFC chapters to relocate. "It's unfortunate that there's such a small female presence as there is on the Walk," he said. "At the same time, I'm not for booting frats off." Baker, a College and Engineering senior, noted that fraternities have already lost many houses on Locust Walk, including those torn down to build Steinberg-Dietrich Hall and The Book Store, though those buildings were constructed many years ago. "The issue should be addressed in the near future between Panhel and the University," he said. "I don't want us to have to give up more houses than we already have." Reikofski said sororities will find vacant spots only if there is a major disciplinarian problem with one of the fraternity chapters, or if the University agrees to give up one of its buildings. "I don't see the University giving up any of its spaces," the OFSA director said. "And I would like to hope that the fraternities will stay out of trouble." Baker agreed, saying that the University moving their programs to other locations is "not feasible." He added that he would like to see the University move administrative programs off the Walk to allocate space for more student-oriented programs. According to Tri Delt House Manager and College senior Ariella Poncz, her sorority often opened its Locust Walk house to other campus organizations -- for singing group rehearsals, fraternity rush and a number of Panhel events. Tri Delt President Susan Hearn, also a College senior, said her sorority currently has a number of housing options open for next fall, although she would not disclose any specific locations. "We'll be really sad to leave the house," she said. "But we have some very exciting options, and we are looking forward to that as well."

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