Issue date: 8/18/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Katie Langridge / Daily Vidette Staff Photographer The former Tri Sig house on Willow St. is now home to the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

While taking a stroll down Willow Street, it is easy to notice all of the fraternity and sorority houses. This year students may be surprised to see Sigma Sigma Sigma's old house with the letters "TKE" on the front.

The Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity moved into the former Tri Sigma sorority house on July 19.

"Gary O'Donnell spearheaded the effort in getting us this new house," Matt Vella, senior history education major and president of the TKE chapter at ISU, said. "Through the channels of business, he negotiated so we could acquire the house."

Gary O'Donnell, former member and current alumni president of the Mu Upsilon chapter, purchased the house from the former owners, who were looking to get out of the business of owning a Greek house.

The Epsilon Omicron chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma, which currently has 18 members, chose not to return to the house.

"The chapter could not support the financial obligations of a sorority house with the number of members in the chapter," Lindsey Beaver, senior middle-level teacher education major and president of the ISU Tri Sigmas, said.

The chapter currently does not have a house and its members have made their own arrangements for housing.

"At such time that the chapter can increase its membership and support a sorority house, all available resources will be made available to assist them in this endeavor," Beaver said.

According to Vella, moving to their new house will allow the TKEs to compete with the larger fraternities, as they did when they had a house on Mulberry Street several years ago.

"Everyone is a phenomenally talented opponent, but we haven't been in this position for years," Vella said. "We're reclaiming what our past used to be."

Their new location will benefit the TKEs, but Vella said it takes more than just a house.

"We've got this great house and we can use it to sell our image, but it comes down to the guys in the chapter," Vella said.

"A couple individuals gave a Herculean effort and allowed us to move mountains," Vella said. "The effort can't end if we want to make this investment worthwhile."

The fraternity moved to the house on Willow Street from a Young America-owned property on Delaine Drive. There are currently 23 men living in the house, and they hope to have 30 for the semester.

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