PiKa to begin its recolonization

The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity began its recolonization process at the University last week, according to chapter consultant W. Blake Monroe. The University suspended PiKA's charter in June of 1992 due to a series of hazing incidents. The brothers were collectively responsible for several violations -- including planning unauthorized pledge trips, covering each other with paint after initiation and holding pledge meetings at a time forbidden by University regulations. At that time, the fraternity was already on probation from 1990 as a result of two incidents. In one of these, pledges brought a sick horse into the fraternity house as a prank. In the second, three PiKA brothers allegedly faked a hold-up of the fraternity, leading police to believe a real robbery had occurred. But now PiKa is recruiting new members based on the recommendations of University alumni, administrators, faculty, staff and student organizations. According to Tom Carroll, assistant director of programming for the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, the University and the InterFraternity Council have granted PiKA "provisional recognition" on campus. He said the colony will be given a checklist based on the Fraternity and Sorority Judicial Charter that it must follow in order to receive full recognition -- a process that usually takes a year. Monroe, along with chapter consultant Mike Margolin, began interviewing membership candidates last Tuesday. "We want to form a fraternity that's unique," Margolin said. "We're offering people the opportunity to start their own fraternity." PiKA is seeking scholars, leaders, athletes and gentlemen, Margolin said. He added that members must also maintain a grade point average of at least 2.5 and be involved in at least one other campus organization. Monroe and Margolin will be on campus until March 6, when the selection and one-week processes will be complete. The colony will then be assigned an alumni advisor who will monitor the colony's progress. According to Monroe, he and Margolin have no specific numerical goal for membership. "Our goal is to get quality young men with character," he said. "No quotas, no size limitations -- just 100 percent good, quality men." In addition to the students PiKA will be accepting this spring, the fraternity will be recruiting another non-freshman pledge class in the fall in order to strengthen the fraternity, Monroe said. Carroll explained that this recolonization has been ongoing since fall 1994. PiKA had the automatic option of returning to campus when its suspension period ended, but the fraternity decided to wait until now to make the move, according to IFC President Josh Gottheimer, an Alpha Epsilon Pi brother. He added that PiKA waited to recolonize until after IFC rush ended. "We worked with them in the sense that they met with us and wanted to join our system at a point where we were ready to handle an additional chapter," the College junior said. "That really shows a partnership going into this." And Gottheimer said the new colony will not be connected to the old PiKA chapter at the University in any way. "The gentlemen who are being recruited will be a new group that's not affiliated in any way with the brothers from the old chapter at Penn," he said. "They're starting anew -- they have every right to come on now." According to Monroe, the fraternity will move back into its house at 3916 Spruce Street, which they have been leasing to the Pi Beta Phi sorority. Pi Phi will be moving to its new house at 4027 Walnut Street in the fall.