The area known as Greek Row is home to hundreds of NIU students. Each semester, Greek chapters recruit more students to join in their lifestyle.

Then why aren’t more houses on Greek Row filled with Greek students?

Chris Juhl, activities adviser for Greek affairs, believes funding and low membership are the main reasons why there aren’t more Greek chapters with houses at NIU.

“Organizations need members to generate funds to help pay for the house,” Juhl said. “They also need to have good communication with alumni who are willing to help the chapter with any negotiations.”

Juhl said between the College Pan-Hellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council, NIU currently recognizes 31 chapters. Sororities at NIU are organized through the CPC, fraternities are part of the IFC and multicultural Greek organizations belong to the NPHC.

Nine of the recognized chapters do not have houses.

Juhl said the recognized chapters that don’t have houses belong to the NPHC. These chapters include Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Phi Omega, Gamma Phi Omega, Iota Phi Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho, Sigma Lambda Gamma and Zeta Phi Beta. Recently, the NPHC organizations Omega Delta and Alpha Psi Lambda have established residence on Greek Row.

LaVerne Gyant, adviser for NPHC organizations, feels an added NPHC presence on Greek Row would be beneficial, but also said low numbers and monetary problems face these Greek letter organizations.

“It would be great if some of the other NPHC NIU Greek letter organizations could have a house, but for many of them the issue is funding and support, as well as membership numbers,” Gyant said. “We have talked about exploring the idea of having an NPHC house, but this remains in the discussion stages.”

Gyant hopes that within the next five years, such an organization will be established on Greek Row. She added there has been support of NPHC Greek houses from individual members of the IFC and CPC, but not from any chapters as a whole.

Craig Smith, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, believes any NPHC organizations would be welcome to move onto Greek Row.

“The more the merrier,” Smith said.

Smith also believes students in the IFC and CPC are aware of NPHC organizations.

“The multicultural organizations are pretty-well organized,” Smith said. “I always see posters and flyers on the buses and in the halls advertising their events.”