Members of Sigma Nu, along with their skeleton housemate, Rodney, currently live in this six-bedroom house on University Street. The fraternity will be expanding its residence to become the first Greek community on campus. The development would include as

Credit: Ben Breier

Sigma Nu President John Kozlik is looking forward to living in a new fraternity house.

The current house on University Drive, built in the 1920s, is run-down and lacks heat, space and Greek letters. Zoning laws prohibit Sigma Nu from displaying their letters on the house.

“Off-campus housing is a joke in Kent,” said Kozlik, junior psychology and philosophy major. “The city isn’t going to build any new houses for Greeks to use.”

Social fraternity Sigma Nu will soon be the first Greek organization to build a house in a new privatized Greek Village.

“The house will be tailored to fit the needs of our fraternity,” Kozlik said. “It will definitely bring the guys together.”

The university is providing the land at a cost of $100 a month. The 6-acre land is currently Kent State’s soccer field on the corner of Ted Boyd and Campus Center drives.

Land is available for the development of six fraternity and sorority houses.

“I know there are difficulties in neighborhoods because the houses are no longer zoned to permit Greeks,” said David Creamer, vice president of administration. “Kent State wanted to provide an alternative to minimize some of these issues.”

Sigma Nu alumni Don Flower of Hudson originated the idea of the Greek Village.

“Sigma Nu will lease the house with the intent of buying it out in the future,” Flower said. “The house will be owned by an investment group initially, then mortgaged and leased to their housing corporation.”

The Greek Village will be located behind Fraternity Circle, where four sororities have houses, which are privately owned and not university property.

“Other Greek organizations have shown an interest, especially fraternities since a majority of their houses are off campus,” Creamer said.

Since the Greek Village will be university property, Kent State will set standards for maintenance and house rules.

Standards and house rules will include no alcohol, university inspections and social, behavioral and academic standards.

“In general, the university rules are consistent with the standards of the Greek organizations,” Creamer said.

Sigma Nu Vice President Cash Lawley said he sees the stricter rules and regulations as positive.

“The university will be in charge, which means it won’t turn into an animal house,” he said. “Besides, there will always be members who live in off-campus houses that we can use for parties.”

The funds for this project come from the Greek organizations and alumni.

“The new house will benefit the active chapter, allowing them to sell themselves as an organization dedicated to young men who choose to affiliate with it,” Flower said.

Kozlik said construction will begin in Spring 2007 and will be completed by Fall 2007.

“We originally planned a Spring 2007 move-in,” Kozlik said. “We decided to wait because many of the brothers live off campus, where a majority of the leases are for one year.”

Though the university has officially approved the project, it still must be approved by the state. This final process will take place in the coming months.

“This is a way for the Greek community to grow as a whole,” Lawley said. “A house is the pillar of a fraternity – it gets people knowing your name.”

Contact student politics reporter Breanne George at [email protected].