The men of Mississippi State’s Kappa Sigma fraternity are still working to regain their chapter status. Representatives of Kappa Sigma and alumni traveled to Los Angeles, Calif., Jan. 30 to appeal to the Kappa Sigma National Board. They were unsuccessful in reinstating the chapter, but they were given the option to appeal again at a leadership conference in July.
The Delta Chi chapter of Kappa Sigma were accused of alcohol violations in September and the national fraternity administrators pulled its charter in October.
Mitchell Wilson, executive director of the Kappa Sigma National Fraternity office, said the board decided to create a team of volunteer representatives to send to Starkville for a membership review.
“They will interview undergrads and make recommendations based on what they see,” Wilson said. “If favorable, young men who pass the review will make a presentation at a leadership conference in New Orleans in July.”
Wilson said if the petition is successful, Kappa Sigma may be up and running by next fall.
“There is lots of work to be done and lots of review,” Wilson said. “But they have a good plan with lots of alumni support. These boys are ready to roll up their sleeves and get back to work on their chapter.”
Eddie Keith, director of the Colvard Student Union, said if the fraternity gets to come back, they must first come back as a colony.
“A pledge to an active member is a colony to a chapter,” Keith said. “After first becoming a colony, then they can regain their status as a chapter. The question is when they will be able to recolonize at MSU.”
Keith said typically a group goes away for two years, but that is the worst case scenario and it would be able to recolonize sooner than two years if the petition is successful.
“Only a couple appeals have actually been successful and one of these appeals was at Ole Miss,” Keith said. “We just want to make sure that when Kappa Sigma does come back, that it comes back strong.”
Vice President for Student Affairs Bill Kibler said the Kappa Sigma house is still housing some members.
“We do have several students, 30 to 35, I believe, living in the fraternity house this semester, but the house is being managed as a ‘residence hall’ rather than a fraternity house,” Kibler said.
There is a residence adviser managing over the house, Kibler said.