Phi Kappa Tau knows what it’s like to be persistent and use teamwork for something they are passionate about.

Saturday, Phi Kappa Tau was re-chartered on the Kent State campus after a nearly four-year hiatus.

“Re-chartering is when an organization that has previously existed on a university campus is permitted to return and establish a new chapter under the same name,” said Meredith Bielaska, assistant director for Greek affairs. “Because it is not a new organization receiving a new charter, it is considered a re-charter.”

The Kent State chapter closed in 2008. Tim Hudson, director of chapter services for the national Phi Kappa Tau organization, said he could not go into specifics as to why the group was suspended.

“There was a pattern of risk management incidents that led us to the decision,” Hudson said.

Adam Heiman, senior marketing major and current president of Phi Kappa Tau, had just rushed the fraternity when it was closed down.

“There were a couple fights that happened at our fraternity house that caused a lot of problems,” Heiman said.

Heiman also said there were some relations between the national and alumni groups of the chapter that were, “not so good.”

Seven students from the original chapter requested to re-start the organization on campus in 2010. They petitioned the national office to become a colony.

“It took two years before the organization was able to complete all of the requirements of Phi Kappa Tau,” Bielaska said. “They received their new charter on April 14, 2012.”

Tommy Reisinger, junior justice studies major said it’s nice to be recognized by nationals again.

“We’ve been at Kent as a colony for a couple years,” Reisinger said. “Now that nationals are recognizing us as a chapter … it feels great.”

In order for Phi Kappa Tau to avoid anything like this happening again, they have to take some new measures.

“We are definitely recruiting the right men,” Heiman said. “The older members are trying to instill in these younger guys what went wrong, how it could go wrong and why it did go wrong – so it never happens again.”

Now that Phi Kappa Tau is an active, chartered organization on the Kent State campus, the guys are able to see their hard work paying off.

“We worked really hard. We did what the university said, and did what our nationals said,” Heiman said. “We all came together for one goal and it was finally reached. It was just really awesome and liberating to finally reach it.”

Contact Nicole Winkleman at [email protected].