Alumni and current members of Sigma Phi Epsilon held a ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of their newly built house Friday night.
The $2.2 million, 12,500-square-foot house has three floors and a finished basement, and is built at 237 Langdon St., the same lot as their old house, which burned down in 2008.
The Greek letters that hung outside Sig Ep's previous house are one of the only things to survive the fire and are displayed in a room members call the ""man cave"" with couches, TVs and tables.
""It's a nice house, a nice place to live,"" said Reed Peterson, Vice President of Housing and former Sig Ep member. ""It's a place you can bring your parents and not be embarrassed.""
The house has been designated a residential learning community because of the amount of space allotted specifically for academic use. Features include a library, a study room and an apartment for the building's resident scholar—a graduate student on call for homework help and studying.
Although the new house will be an important gathering place for fraternity members, Peterson said not having a house for the last three years did not tend to lower pledge class numbers.
""Guys join for the guys,"" Peterson said. ""Having a house is just a bonus.""
Peterson said his favorite part of the house is a lighted turret that emits a bright green light, which can change color, on the upper deck of the front porch. The upper deck offers a view both ways down Langdon street.
Peterson said the completion of the new house would not have been possible without the help of many donors, including Sig Ep alumni, Wally Doud and Jere Fluno.
Both said they are happy with the finished project and think everyone who lives in the house should consider themselves lucky.
""It's awesome,"" Fluno said. ""I'm considering going back to school.""
