Chi Psi breaks ground on new house

Chi Psi Fraternity broke ground on Saturday for its new lodge, to be located on Fraternity Row. The fraternity, which was reestablished at the University of Mississippi in 2013, has been and will continue operating without a house until the completion of their lodge.
Hooker Construction of Thaxton, Mississippi is scheduled to have the house completed by next fall term. “The Lodge” will have the capacity to house 20 undergraduate fraternity members.
“The new lodge will give our members a place to meet, celebrate and live together, which will strengthen our identity and our visibility and, ultimately, unite our brothers even more,” said Eric Epperson, a member of the Capital Campaign Committee for the new lodge.
Cunningham & Associates Architects started drafting designs for the Chi Psi Lodge over a year ago. Due to the growth of the chapter, an additional floor was added to the original housing plans to accommodate the common space needs of all 55 members.
“The building of our new lodge is one of the major milestones Chi Psi has achieved in the process of our return to campus in 2013,” said Doug Buglewicz, Chi Psi Alumni advisory board chairman.
Buglewicz said “The Lodge” represents the culmination of thousands of hours of work by undergraduates, alumni and Chi Psi’s Central Office in partnership with the university to provide a suitable home for undergraduate members.
Future social and formal events for Chi Psi will be hosted at “The Lodge.”
“Having a house on campus is huge when rushing potential new members. I think the new house will help the chapter grow in ways that it wouldn’t have been able to without it,” said Noah Davis, sophomore accountancy major and member of Kappa Alpha Order.
Chi Psi began recruitment in the spring of 2013 and was granted a charter after fewer than 30 weeks of colonization. This was a record-setting accomplishment and the first of its kind for Chi Psi’s national chapter.
Buglewicz said Chi Psi has achieved very significant goals in record time, and will continue this momentum while they move forward as a chapter.
“The future looks incredibly bright for Chi Psi,” Buglewicz said. “The groundbreaking has re-energized and re-focused both undergraduates and alumni to continue to develop good, quality men who want to enhance their college experience and build lifelong friendships.”