CLICK HERE LOAD ING cars.com NEWS Published Wednesday, July 5, 2000, in the Miami Herald FIU building fraternity row to liven up mix on campus School no longer just for commuters BY JACK WHEAT jwheat@herald.com Florida International University, anxious to infuse its West Miami-Dade commuter campus with traditional college ambience, is gambling on fraternities -- betting it can grow frats that push scholarship, leadership and rah-rah spirit, yet repel infection by the Animal House syndrome. Construction has just begun on an FIU Tim Chapman fraternity row. A Phi Gamma Delta house, FRAT LIFE: Members of the bankrolled by a $1 million gift from Kirk fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta at Landon, retired chairman of American Florida International University play football with mascot dog Bankers Insurance, will be the first and Judge on the spot where their grandest of the five such houses FIU expects Greek house is going to be built to be completed or under construction a year on campus. from now. ``It's a natural step," said Patricia Telles-Irvin, vice president for student affairs. ``The students wanted it. It will enhance campus life. It will go hand in hand with football" -- a milestone FIU expects to achieve in fall 2002. ``Hopefully, they will rise to the occasion, living with integrity, ethics and respect for others," Telles-Irvin said. The Phi Gamma Deltas, also called FIJIs, have banned alcohol and drugs in the house, Telles-Irvin said. ``We will strongly encourage" the others to do likewise. The surest sign of FIU's faith in fraternities: The school anted up almost five precious acres of densely developed University Park for houses, and lined up financing for Phi Gamma Delta, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Mu, Tau Kappa Epsilon and Sigma Phi Epsilon. While professors around the country commonly object to fraternities, on grounds ranging from elitism to criminal behavior, FIU's faculty senate has not raised a peep, said history Professor Howard Rock, president of the organization.