On Wednesday night, the National Pan-Hellenic Council voted to reinstate the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. back into the council after a seven-year absence.

Kappa Alpha Psi was first chartered at Eastern on May 18, 1987. The fraternity lost members and was suspended in 2000.

All chapters of the NPHC declined in numbers at the turn of the millennium.

Marcus Smith is a senior in biology and the current vice president of Kappa Alpha Psi.

Smith said the fraternity lost members because they graduated and no effort was made to recruit new ones.

Sunni Solomon, a graduate assistant, was hired to advise the NPHC. Solomon and the Minority Affairs office helped to raise interest in bringing Kappa’s back to Eastern’s campus. In the spring of 2007 the chapter was reactivated.

The Kappas were on a one-year probation with the NPHC before they could be accepted back into the council. They have been attending meetings since the start of the fall semester, but now have become voting members in the council.

“Just like how you test drive a car, you want to make sure that is the council you want to be in,” said Jonathon Whigham, junior in corporate communications and president of the Kappas.

The Kappa members’ first choice was to join the NPHC. Because the Kappas were also living in the NPHC building, they also had to become members of the council to stay there.

Whigham said the next step for the Kappas is to “pick up where the ball dropped.”

As part of the next step, Smith and Whigham plan to continue work with NPHC to integrate into the greater Greek community.

Whigham also plans to focus on expanding the chapter and recruitment.

The Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity currently has six members.