For fraternities and sororities, recruitment is the chance to give potential members a first glimpse at Greek life.

The fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE) decided to move locations from University Street to both College Street and Depeyster Street in the hopes to build its recruitment numbers and create a better environment for its members.

“We’re trying to recruit a lot of guys,” said Brandon Fisher, a sophomore marketing major and PIKE member. “We have a lot of juniors and seniors, so we need to build a bigger freshman class.”

Fisher also said that PIKE got two new houses this year because they “just didn’t like the house” that they were in this past semester.

Delta Upsilon (DU), the first fraternity on Kent State’s campus in 1948, had a different story. The fraternity has not had an official chapter house for over five years, and in recent years attained a house located on Fraternity Circle.

“We got kicked off campus. Something to do with hazing,” said DU president Alex Smith, a sophomore economics major. “We don’t really know the details. None of the alumni from that year really come around here anymore.”

In 2012-2013, the fraternity returned and has since been trying to reestablish itself and gain more members. Without a house, though, this made matters difficult when it came to house meetings and recruitment.

“We would just go around campus, honestly. We have business cards and calendars printed out. It’s all about word of mouth,” said DU member Jamil Garrison, a junior construction management major.

“Our meetings were held at the Student Center, and we rushed guys because we had another house off-campus,” said Nick Anello, a sophomore AED-general major.

According to the members of DU, house location contributes to the number of members recruited.

“It’s kind of bittersweet because this is our only house, and it’s located off of Fraternity Circle,” Garrison said. “It’s definitely one of the nicest houses, but it is harder to grab attention to it because a lot of freshmen are mainly attracted to partying … (and) go downtown to College, East Main and University Street.

Along with many other fraternities, DU aspires to gain more members this year and for years to come.

“We’re starting to move a lot. You know, we have this house, we got new brothers who are pushing toward the same goal, and we’re all moving in the same direction,” Garrison said. “It’s all about getting more guys and getting our name out there in the Greek community.”

Contact Brittney Prather at [email protected].