Delta Kappa Epsilon - Wesleyan University

The Deke Newsletter GAMMA PHI CHAPTER AT WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2017 Despite Setbacks, DKE at Wesleyan Sets Goals for the Future 2017 marks the 150th year of DKE at Wesleyan. We're planning a noteworthy celebration for October 7 of Columbus Day weekend. Mark your calendars. We hope you find this issue of the Gamma Phi newsletter informative, fun, and inspiring— especially when you read the article from Jordan Jancze '18 (Stillwater, Minn.), current chapter president, about the accomplishments of our undergraduates who remain a fine, involved group of men who deserve better from our alma mater. First, an update on the lawsuit. In an effort to return the undergraduates to the house, we once again have reached out to Wesleyan's administration, with no preconditions, to settle this suit. They steadfastly refuse. We have proposed numerous options that meet their stated criteria. Again, they refuse. One thing I want to make clear is that the lawsuit is not central to our mission of keeping Gamma Phi strong and independent. The lawsuit's purpose is to reclaim revenues we have lost since the university arbitrarily and abruptly banned undergraduates from living in the house and paying rent. As of January, the determination of whether the suit will go to trial is in the hands of the court. The university submitted a motion for summary judgment seeking to dismiss the suit before trial. We opposed the motion asserting that there are many issues that should be addressed by a jury, alone. Their motion and our opposition have been argued before the court. It is now in the hands of the judge. She has up to 120 days to render her decision. If the judge accepts our argument, we believe that a jury will see this for what it is—a ploy and subsequent land grab by the administration. A jury will hear President Michael Roth's stated objective: "If we don't close the houses with the hopes of acquiring them, then we shouldn't go down this road at all." We are awaiting the judge's decision. Regardless of the outcome, our goals haven't changed. We have three overarching goals: 1. Guarantee 276 High Street and Gamma Phi DKE remain a strong and independent presence on the Wesleyan campus in perpetuity; 2. Renovate the property to a level that will enable it to be a viable living space; and 3. Regain program housing status so the undergraduates may enjoy living in the Old Stone House, just as we did. The physical state of 276 High Street is structurally sound, but in need of renovations. We are taking all the necessary measures to ensure that the bills are paid (see treasurer's report below) and that the building is secure. A comprehensive security system with central monitoring has been installed. Hopefully this will prevent the vandalism that has occurred in the past by disgruntled undergraduates who decided to take their frustrations out on the DKE house. We still don't understand why the current administration and board of trustees continue to ban undergraduates from living in the house. In the meantime, we are investigating several alternatives that can productively make use of the house until a fair resolution with the university is achieved. To prepare for another 150 years of DKE at Wesleyan, the Kent Literary Club recently completed a study to assess the feasibility of major upgrades to the Old Stone House. Several alumni contributed input to the study and the results provided strategic guidance on the steps necessary to stay present on the Wesleyan campus. Please feel free to contact me or anyone else on the KLC board if you have questions, comments or suggestions. In the Bonds, Gary Breitbord '79 Kent Literary Club President (508) 740-9310 / gbreitbo@aol.com I am pleased to be starting the second year of my second stint (the first was in the early '90s) as the treasurer of the KLC. This is a brief status of our financial position. For the near term, we have enough cash on hand to meet our operational obligations (insurance, property taxes, utilities, maintenance of 276 High Street, etc.) while the house is vacant. We are current on all our bills, and have computerized our financial systems and upgraded our banking relationship. For the long term, we need to be very careful managing our finances until we have a consistent revenue source that the undergraduate rental income previously provided. This is a challenging time, but we are managing the finances judiciously. In the Bonds, David S. Bagatelle '86, CPA Kent Literary Club Treasurer (646) 408-1032 dbagatelle@mac.com An Update from the KLC Treasurer

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