University Boulevard has grown rapidly with new, massive fraternity houses at the University of Alabama. UA Cribs is still on the move to feature as many of these houses as possible before the spring semester of 2015 comes to a close. One of those incredible Greek mansions that we would like to introduce is the Sigma Chi house.
With 28,000 square feet under the roof, the men at Sigma Chi have made this house on University Boulevard their new home. The new house is the third one that the fraternity has occupied on Alabama's campus. The original house was located approximately where the Gene Stallings statue is on the Walk of Champions in front of Bryant Denny Stadium. Once the brotherhood started growing, the fraternity built a new chapter house on Jefferson Avenue around 1967. Ford Lindsay, Sigma Chi's President, explained that the last house the brothers lived in on Jefferson Avenue is the oldest fraternity house on campus that is still standing. Similar to other Greek organizations, the brothers were in desperate need for an upgrade due to the growth of the university and ultimately the chapter. Sigma Chi was more than excited to move back onto University Boulevard and saw it as a homecoming, seeing as they were located on the same street many years ago.
Every Greek organization finds it difficult to part ways with their house because it carries so much history and memories that the chapter has shared together. “It was pretty hard to part from the old house on Jefferson," Lindsay said. "Our chapter had been in that house for about 45 years, so there was a lot of history between those walls. However, everyone was really excited about the idea of moving into a new house."
The brothers have learned to carry out that same legacy under a new roof. The Sigma Chi brothers can now fit comfortably under this new roof that has many great features.
The second and third floors are residential with a total of 35 bedrooms. Most of the rooms share a Jack-and-Jill bathroom, while some have their own. One room that the fraternity has that remains private is the chapter room. This is one of the most unique rooms in the house because it was designed to be a replica of the chapter room in the very first house that the fraternity lived in on the Alabama's campus.
The first floor is the main floor of the house and is equipped with a study room that has plenty of space for the members to read, study and meet with classmates. Across from the study is the formal room, complete with a fireplace and large sofas. Moving further into the house, the men have a game room that is equipped with a TV, pool table and foosball table. Next to the game room is the informal living room that is used for lounging, relaxing and socializing. This room features two, 60-inch TVs and six leather couches.
The first floor is also where the dining room is located.“Our dining room is the same size as the band room and is always packed on game days with alumni and families stopping by to grab a bite to eat," Lindsay said. The dining room connects to the outside patio where the band room is located. The band room has a stage, bar, sound system and lights that are used for social events held at the house.
In each of the previous articles, UA Cribs asked how the new Greek house was purchased. We did the same here. “The house was purchased primarily through a capital campaign with countless alumni donations," Lindsay said. "After the funds were established and the land was chosen, the construction process began. After a year and a half of building, the fraternity mansion was up and finished about the same time as their neighbors, Phi Delta Theta."
Another question that is always asked is if there is a substantial increase in the bills and demands for new members to fill the house. “Surprisingly, the bills have not gone up too much," Lindsay said. "Obviously, they have risen a bit, but we have done a good job of allocating our house fund and chapter checking accounts to pay off the house. We are only a few years from paying the house off completely."
He also ensured that there was an increase in pledge class numbers to account for all the new space. For the past three years, Sigma Chi has initiated 50 members in the pledge classes. Sigma Chi brings in an average of fifty members, which is also considered the average UA fraternity pledge class.
The fraternity brothers of Sigma Chi have grown closer since the new chapter house has been built. Having many large spaces, like the living room, game room and band room, to congregate in has allowed the active members to share more time together. “We enjoy pulling all of the couches together and putting the two TV's together in the TV room whenever there are big games on (especially during March Madness)," Lindsay said.
This new chapter house has not only strengthened the bond of the current members but of the alumni as well. “This house has been a huge asset to Sigma Chi," Lindsay said. "The alumni love to take tours on game days, and rushees really seem to like our facilities. We are really grateful to our alumni for donating money and remaining active in the chapter's affairs. It is always nice to have some guidance from them when we run into issues."
