The Pi Beta Phi house welcomes both Beta members and Pi Phi members back to school. Photo by Elizabeth Stevenson.
OLLIE FITZGERALD | ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR | ofitzgerald@butler.edu
Editor’s Note: Abby Ayre, the president of Butler’s chapter of Pi Beta Phi, works as a designer for The Butler Collegian. Per the Collegian Handbook, staff members of The Butler Collegian may not be used as sources. Although Ayre is the only member of Butler’s chapter of Pi Beta Phi permitted to speak on behalf of the chapter, the Collegian has not interviewed her in compliance with our policy.
In April, The Butler Collegian published an article regarding the combination of fraternity, Beta Theta Pi (Beta), and sorority, Pi Beta Phi (Pi Phi), living accommodations. Over the summer, necessary construction was completed, and the two groups moved in together in late August.
Despite the expectations of renovations from the previous Beta president, Clay Forrer, minimal changes were made to the house. There is a pre-existing fire door between two wings — used as the partition between Beta and Pi Phi — that is just remaining shut. The two groups dine together and are both allowed to use the shared common spaces, acting much like other co-ed housing on campus.
LJ Benak, a junior music major and Beta’s president, is one of the eight members living in the house this year. Benak explained that they initially expected about 12 members to live in the house, but since the plans were finalized late into the spring semester, many people already had set housing plans.
Even though both groups are actively living together, several logistical aspects of fraternity and sorority life are still being figured out.
“We don’t quite know what [recruitment and philanthropy events are] going to look like yet,” Benak said. “Our executive [teams] are in talks [about that] right now, but we are [also] in constant communication to try and make it work for both groups, [and] utilize the space [in a way] that benefits both of us.”
TG Livak, Pi Phi’s senior director of marketing and communications, was contacted again to give another statement about the combination of the two houses in action. However, in an email to The Butler Collegian, Livak gave the same quote as in April, providing no further updates.
Although the combination of Beta and Pi Phi in a singular house has only been agreed upon thus far for a single year, the intention is to help relieve the financial burdens of both chapters. If the arrangement is successful, there is potential for the agreement to be renewed.
