The Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house is seen at the University of Mississippi, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2014. DM Photo | Payton Teffner
Since the closing of the Mississippi Alpha Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon at The University of Mississippi, their house sitting at 309 Fraternity Row has been dormant. Last week, Pi Kappa Phi fraternity moved in.
The Pi Kappa Phi chapter was originally established at the university in 1927. However, due to many members enlisting to fight overseas in war, the fraternity left the university in 1949.
Several attempts to recolonize were made, but they faded. In the spring of 2013, Pi Kappa Phi made a comeback. A group of about 65 men successfully established a colony.
This past Saturday marked a special event for the fraternity: Pi Kappa Phi received their charter, which means their chapter is a full-fledged member of their national organization.
The Alpha Lambda Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi is the largest charter in the history of the fraternity.
The brothers were able to enter the house last week and had the opportunity to utilize the house during the chartering process this past weekend.
Pi Kappa Phi President Phillip Schmidt said the group acquired the house at a good time.
“It felt great having the chartering of our fraternity go hand-in-hand with the excitement of getting into the house for the first time,” Schmidt said.
Despite the excitement the brothers share over their long-fought path of getting the house, Schmidt described the process as being quite lengthy and containing more steps than they initially realized.
“When Sigma Phi Epsilon lost their chapter at the university in the spring, our fraternity’s housing corporation was contacted by their fraternity’s housing corporation. We were immediately excited for the future of Pi Kappa Phi,” Schmidt said.
Pi Kappa Phi also plans to make great use of their newest addition. Schmidt detailed that the house will be used as a grounds of meeting for many events, including formals, chapter meetings and many social events.
In addition to using the house for social events and meetings, Schmidt is also hopeful that it will provide a common place to meet that will increase the bonds of brotherhood between their members.
“We are so very excited about it, but we still have a long way to go,” Schmidt said. “Just having a place to chill, watch television, study and bring our lunch will be nice.”
Pi Kappa Phi member and senior nursing major Jacob Brown explained now that the members have a house, they are able to do more as a chapter.
“The house makes everything we have been working for seem so much more tangible. It truly makes things come to life even more when we enter the house,” Brown said.
The fraternity does not intend on making any changes to the house in the near future, or as long as they are still under lease. Members are currently not residing in the house but will be in the next academic year.
