Fifty women from the Class of 1996 have informally committed themselves to a new local sorority that will move this fall into the Webster Avenue house currently occupied by the dissolving Xi Kappa Chi sorority.
The Panhellenic Council voted earlier this month to dissolve Xi Kappa Chi because the sorority has been plagued by low membership and financial problems.
Members of the new sorority, Kappa Delta Epsilon, will be almost entirely from the Class of 1996. Fourteen members of Xi Kappa Chi also chose to join the new sorority.
The large number of women who asked to join the house surprised the Panhell and the College administration, which limited the house's initial membership to 40 women. Ten more women were later permitted to join the house.
The '96 women who have committed to Kappa Delta Epsilon will not go through rush next fall. But they will not officially become sisters in the new house until Sept. 25 because the College forbids first-year students from accepting bids from Greek houses.
As founding members, the sisters of Kappa Delta Epsilon will write their house's charter and constitution, setting the house's bylaws and standards and creating its traditions.
Panhellenic Council President Rachel Perri '94 said the large amount of interest in Kappa Delta Epsilon is a positive sign for the sororities, but she criticized College administrators for ignoring student interest in the Greek system.
"I think the administration is dragging its feet. They don't want to concede that there is anything positive about the Greek system that they are currently reevaluating," Perri said.
Perri said the interest in the new sorority is proof that the College needs more sororities. "The houses are too big. Sororities should have memberships of around 80 rather than the 113 to 140 members that are common now," she said.
Xi Kappa Chi President Cheri Pinkerton '94 said her house "is in unique position to help the sorority system ... We felt that it was the best way to provide more opportunities for women interested in rushing."
Julie Chilton '96, who also informally agreed to join the house, said the house expands social options for women on campus. "We hope to add to the choices, but ... we don't want to seem exclusive," Chilton said.
Kappa Delta Epsilon organizers planned to hold rush at the normal induction period next fall, but Chilton said the fall rush would be postponed because of the large number of members who have already committed to the house.
