DeKALB — Kappa Alpha Psi has been reinstated as a fraternity, making its comeback after six years of not being on campus.

The fraternity is part of the Divine Nine, a group of black historical fraternities and sororities that are a part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. With Kappa back on campus after a six-year absence, they officially complete the Divine Nine council at NIU.

Other fraternities and sororities included in the Divine Nine are Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho, Omega Psi Phi and Iota Phi Theta.

“We are excited to be back,” said AuQuan Mack, Kappa Alpha Psi treasurer. “We want to be able to bring a more enriched experience to this campus, especially to those who have been waiting to see us on campus for a while.”

Kappa Alpha Psi was founded in 1911 at Indiana University and chartered at NIU in 1968. Due to lack of membership, the fraternity left campus in spring of 2011. The organization now has over 100,000 members in both alumni and undergraduate chapters across the country.

The Student Association Senate approved the fraternity during its first meeting of the semester Jan. 22 in the Holmes Student Center, Sky Room.

Kappa Alpha Psi is a well-known fraternity nationwide and has been on campus for a month since its return, said Eugene Marshall, Kappa Alpha Psi president. In this past month, 60 students have shown interest in joining the fraternity. Nine members are currently active including a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.

“We are going to be working together and [striving] to build up the community on campus,” Marshall said. “We want to be that electric charge that unites all Greek Life councils.”

The members of the fraternity are working toward getting their own house. Marshall hopes to have a house near campus within the next year or two. Any funds raised for the fraternity are raised by the members, as it is not funded through NIU.

The fraternity plans on getting involved with the community and being active on campus. The fraternity hosts Kappa Alpha Psi’s Sunday of Hope, which raises funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The fraternity recently raised over $1,000 for the cause.

The fraternity also facilitates Kappa Week from March 19 to 25, during which members plan to bring new activities to campus such as their event Stroll Like a Kappa.

The event is women only and the members plan to teach the attendees their “strolls, or dance moves,” Marshall said.

Fraternity members will then allow the teams of women to make the strolls their own and implement dance routines, making it a dance competition.

“We’re excited to finally be back on campus,” Marshall said. “We have a lot of things in store for the university, staff and students.”

Morgan Fink is a staff writer. She can be reached at [email protected].