This summer Sigma Delta sorority has become a house without a home.
The College-owned house will be closed for renovations all summer, said Sigma Delt Summer President Jodi Scarpa '97.
The College informed the sisters of Sigma Delt about three weeks before the end of Spring term that the house would be unavailable for the summer while fire alarms, sprinklers and handicap entrances were installed, Scarpa said.
"Had we known ahead of time, we could have gotten an off-campus house," Scarpa said.
The women who applied to live in the house were not allowed to withdraw their Office of Residential Life housing contracts, she said. But at their request to be housed together, Scarpa said 12 sisters were assigned housing on the first floor of Lord Hall.
Sigma Delt's executive council meets in Lord, but for larger meetings the house, which has 43 members on campus this term, looked elsewhere.
The house made an agreement with Kappa Chi Kappa fraternity to hold meetings and program events in the brothers' house, said Kappa Chi Summer President Michael New '97.
Sigma Delt is paying a flat fee, which Scarpa declined to divulge, for the use of the house.
Kappa Chi will co-sponsor programming events with Sigma Delt, New said.
But after the agreement Sigma Delt learned that Kappa Chi is on probation and alcohol is not allowed in the house during the summer, Scarpa said.
The house will co-sponsor parties with other Greek houses this summer, Scarpa said.
Emily Smith '97, a member of Sigma Delt, said the situation "seems kind of ridiculous."
"It does sort of feel like we're displaced," she said. With no alcohol, the house is "sort of like a lounge," Smith said.
Scarpa said when the sisters first learned about the renovations "we were really disappointed." But she added, "I think we did a really good job finding an alternative."
The first floor in Lord, which is nearly all Sigma Delt members, has been nicknamed Sigma Delt West by some members, Scarpa said.
Sigma Delt will be open again for Fall term, Scarpa said.
