In 2009, Grand Valley State University student, Eric Broadworth, started joking with a friend about starting up another fraternity at the university. After talking to Kappa Sigma Fraternity area recruitment they decided to make it a reality.

What Broadworth and the other men interested in Kappa Sigma did not know, was that the Interfraternity Council had an expansion plan in place, which included specific procedures involved in becoming a fraternity at GVSU, and the confusion left the Greek community under the impression that Kappa Sigma was not a real fraternity.

Spencer Richardson, president of Kappa Sigma, said the group had to present themselves twice in front of IFC, and were voted on three times before their colonization was officially recognized by the university.

“Our beginning at GVSU was difficult due to our differences with the Interfraternity Council, but that’s all been put in the past,” Richardson said. “Since 2011, we have been a participating colony-member of this campus’ IFC and have had a wonderful relationship with Greek life on our campus.”

The chapter’s installation took place on Jan. 19 and five Kappa Sigma chapters from other universities came to help out, Richardson said.

“This has been a long time in the making, and the work my brothers and I have put in over the past three years gives me faith that great things will come from the Sigma-Kappa Chapter of Kappa Sigma,” he said.

The GVSU chapter of Kappa Sigma currently has around 50 members but is looking to recruit 10-20 more brothers this semester as the first class after the Founding Fathers. Although the current members did not all join at the same time they are considered to be in the Founding Father class because they joined while the fraternity was still a colony.

“We finally made it,” Broadworth said. “It was a huge effort on everyone’s part. We went through a long process with GVSU – lots of ups and downs to become a chapter.”

There were many times since the fraternity colonized that the brothers doubted they would ever become a charter, Richardson said. The progress and development they have made over the past three years has helped them develop stronger leadership and brotherhood.

Kappa Sigma Fraternity can be traced back to Italy in the 1400s but officially started in America in 1869. The Sigma-Kappa Chapter at GVSU is the 304th chapter in the nation.

“Our brotherhood was immensely strengthened through our fight for the installation of our chapter at GVSU,” Richardson said. “I’m so happy to have these men as my fellow brothers. Our work has finally paid off, and we are now the Founding Fathers we set out to be.”
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