THE BETA HOUSE 16 THE BETA THETA PI
THE
BETA HOUSE INSIDE MINNESOTA
by Justin Warren, SMU ’10
RENOVATED HOME, REINVIGORATED CHAPTER At one time, it was possible for the Beta Pi Chapter to chalk up decades of wear and tear in their chapter facility to the 90-year-old home’s charm. Today’s college students, however, are arriving on Minnesota’s campus with heightened expectations for the quality of their on-campus housing. Chapter alumni knew that, in order to remain competitive, a major renovation was needed. Last fall, the 70-man chapter was welcomed back to a modernized home that quickly became the envy of University Avenue. ACKNOWLEDGING REALITY The summer’s renovations were the most extensive in chapter history – coming in at a cost of close to $1 million. For Branden Peterson ’05, the project wasn’t a want, but a need. “Our house corporation acknowledged a few realities,” Peterson said. “We were a stable chapter, but with an ever-growing ‘fix’ list for our aging house – including several safety concerns. We had an