Pi Beta Phi House Burned (U. of Idaho)
 

No injuries, but a newspaper in the region reports that the Pi Beta Phi house at the U. of Idaho has burned. Reportedly, Pi Phi is looking for housing:

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/break...y.asp?ID=10913

My sympathy to the chapter and alumnae in the area.

A couple of TV stations have short reports on their sites:
http://www.khq.com/Global/story.asp?...&nav=menu438_2
http://www.kxly.com/news/?sect_rank=...story_id=13322

That's too bad.

At least no one was hurt.

Wait is this the same school that had its AXO house blown apart by a tornado?

I feel so bad for the PiPhis, if that had been my chapter house I would have been devastated.

No, that was Univ. of Iowa.

http://www.uipibetaphi.org/page/Hous...re/pi+beta+phi

Here is a picture of the house (before the fire obviously). I'm glad no one was hurt.

Ah, I knew it began with an I. Poor I states with disasters like these :(

From the message posted on the Pi Phi IHQ site:

"On Wednesday, August 1, 2007, the . . . chapter house at the University of Idaho in Moscow, ID sustained significant damage due to fire. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Members are scheduled to return to campus this weekend to prepare for recruitment. House Corporation and local advisers are working with the university to investigate alternative housing options for those members who were to live in the chapter house. Alternative arrangements are also being made for hosting of upcoming recruitment events. The Fraternity and Collegiate Regional team will be supporting the chapter with on-site assistance starting this weekend. . . ."

The message goes on to list people at their HQ who can be contacted with specific kinds of questions.

Is there a NPC rule that would keep Pi Phi from recruiting out of a fraternity house?

And a few years back, wasn't there a sorority (Alpha Chi Omega?) at San Diego State that had a fire at their house right before recruitment? And they ended up recruiting elsewhere? As I recall, they had a rather successful recruitment.

As long as the men aren't hanging out at recruitment events, it would be OK. There are many campuses where non-housed sororities hold their events at a fraternity house.

Poor Pi Phi's, that's a really difficult situation. Our own VandalSquirrel is in that area and might be able to tell us more from the local front...

:( Oh no, that's so sad.

Hopefully the Pi Phis over here at WSU can offer them some assistance.

I live a block from the fire station and hear every time they go on a call, and high enough on a hill that I could see a glow, but I had no idea it was the Pi Phi house until this morning. I'm maybe a five minute walk from there, and there were news vehicles all over the parking lot next to the house. I had business on their block twice today, and yes, most of the roof is gone. Lots of students store things in their chapter houses or dorms over the summer, plus all of their personal chapter items, and I can't imagine how horrible it is to lose things to smoke and water damage.

I have to say that I am extremely saddened that they have lost their home, but thankful no one was living in it at the time. Most women are returning to their chapter houses Sunday, and if this happened a few days later things may have been different. I also cannot stress to all of you alumni and alumnae who serve on House Corporation Boards, the importance of sprinklers when considering a remodel. These women have a wonderful local chapter, International organization, and a supportive University and I am positive they will have a great recruitment and thrive through this tragedy. I know other organizations on campus are offering their support, as well as the University, and we really do take care of our own.

As for Recruitment, UI has some lovely buildings that I imagine could be used for Recruitment events, and on a positive note some are air conditioned. In my opinion I doubt a fraternity house would be used, as men also have recruitment, and there are building options since school hasn't started yet. The Phi Kappa Tau chapter closed last spring, and their house had been vacant, but the women's co-operative has taken up residence there, so it is unavailable, and the former Tau Kappa Epsilon house needs a lot of work so more than likely the chapter will temporarily live in a residence hall. There has also been a lot of apartments built in the past year, and some fraternities have lived in apartments during their remodels.

On the trivia front, their former house is across the street, and is currently occupied by Alpha Gamma Rho. Before AGR lived there, Lambda Chi Alpha occupied it. The fireplace still has the Pi Beta Phi lozenge in stone on the mantle.

I feel awful, just reading about this! Thank heavens no one was hurt - that's the most important thing. Such a beautiful house, too.

I hope the PiPhis can find a great place for rush, and take some new members who like the idea of working on a new house. Best of luck to the chapter!

VS, love the trivia - too bad that house isn't available!

There's been quite a bit of musical houses. Off the top of my head the current Delta Sigma Phi house was the first Kappa Alpha Theta house, and Kappa Delta is living in the second Theta house, it is shaped like a kite. The Theta's built a new house that opened in 2003, and the Alpha Kappa Lambdas live in the former Alpha Chi Omega house (they are no longer on campus), and every year there is a rumor a particular fraternity is moving into the former Tau Kappa Epsilon house, they closed in spring 2003. If I remember right the Theta Chis had a different house before their current one, and it was the Scholar's Hall, and I believe that the new Theta house is on top of the former site. As I said, the Phi Kappa Tau chapter closed, and the women's co-operative (Steele House) moved in as their building closed this past spring. I call it either Phi Kappa Steele or Steele Tau ;) BadSquirrelBeta is before my time, and she'd be able to tell you more.

I hope they find a house! I remember reading through our housing contract last year and realizing it was stated that if our house was destroyed by anything, our housing corp wasn't responsible for finding us a place to live -- now, I'd imagine they wouldn't leave us high and dry, and I'm glad Pi Phi is finding a place to live (and recruit!)

Funny that you should make that comment.

I was talking to the chapter a couple of weeks ago and asked who lived in an apt. Almost all raised their hands (it's still summer, lol.) When I asked who had renter's insurances, only 1 or 2 did. A couple of people asked what that was. :eek: I strongly suggested that they consider it.


The next day, I sent an email to the chapter and advisors letting them know that if the members' stuff burned in the dorms, the school and Alpha Gam wasn't liable.

It will be interesting to see if I ask that same question in the fall, how many will have insurance.

Renter's Insurance
 

Depending on your policy, the loss of your badge may be covered. I had a badge stolen at convention (not by a sister, I am sure!) and my renter's insurance covered part of the cost - so I was able to replace it. Yeah, USAA!

The school wouldn't be responsible for stuff if it burned in the dorms? Really? When I went to UVM, a waterpipe burst over winter break and flooded the basement/first floor of a dorm. All who lived there got big insurance checks to cover their losses.

This is so sad. But it sounds like these women have some great support and I am sure they will get past this obstacle....their old house looked really pretty.

I am a member of the UofI Pi Beta Phi chapter. We have an amazing House Cor. who are working to find us a new residence and I have heard that they already have. We are going to be okay. Thank you to everyone who posted about this!

Similar story here--my dorm at Baylor had a water pipe burst in the attic and the school had to pay for anything that was damaged. They even requested that profs go easy on whoever was in the affected hall for a couple of weeks afterwards since major things like papers, books, and laptops were among the ruined things.

Thank goodness Pi Phi's fire happened before school got back in session! I'm glad to hear that nobody was hurt.

We're all just happy that y'all are all right! Good luck in Recruitment!

When our dorm burned, one floor was almost a total loss, but the rest of the suites sustained an incredible amount of smoke & water damage. Each sorority's insurance covered the actual sorority areas, but for the clothes and other personal items which couldn't be saved from the stench of the smoke had to be covered by either personal or parental homeowner's/rental policies. The smoke damage alone ruined our carpeting, our upholstered furniture, draperies, and many of the linens - washing and/or dry cleaning just doesn't get rid of that stench!

In the scheme of things, renter's insurance is so inexpensive, it's a bargain. Until the paperwork came through on my house, I paid $164/year for $200,000 worth of replacement insurance. When you calculate the amount your computer & peripherals, stereo, mp3/iPod, television, dvd player, and other personal items would cost to replace, it's cheap at any price!

You put it that way, I'm going to have my boyfriend look into it ASAP. He has a lot of electronics (being the computer geek I know and love) and he lives in a 200 year old house. With gas heating. Awwww New England. So pretty. So potentially dangerous. While I'm on the subject I hate his apartment. He's literally feet away from a train track. I can't stand it.

Love in Pi Beta Phi
 

LovePiBetaPhi, thanks for letting us know that the U of Idaho chapter is going to be allright. All Pi Phi chapters have amazing House Corporations! I am not surprized tht everything has already been handled swiftly and efficiently - Pi Phi National would have made sure that this happened. It is a strong sisterhood, and the bonds are tight in the wine & silver blue. You and your sisters in this chapter are about to learn what it really means to be Pi Phi's. Your older sisters will guide the chapter through this upcoming rush, through the house repairs, and through whatever else happens. When you are my age, and you have been a member for 30+ years, you'll look back, and remember all the love that Pi Beta Phi has shown you. :) I know that I have, on many occasions!

Pi Phi HQ has a press release (in PDF) on its site:

http://www.pibetaphi.org/Idaho%20Alp...%20Release.pdf

Some excerpts of interest (housing, recruitment, Panhellenic friendship and assistance, some items saved):

. . . University officials worked with Pi Beta Phi to quickly provide alternative housing . . . . Two floors in a campus dormitory have been designated for Pi Beta Phi members. . . . The university has set aside two rooms in the student union for Pi Beta Phi’s recruitment activities.

The eight other sororities on campus have rallied together to provide lunch and dinner for the almost 60 members of Pi Beta Phi while they are on campus next week for recruitment preparations. “We are overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who has come out to support us,” said Mechelle Rourke, Chairman for the Idaho Alpha chapter’s Alumnae Advisory Committee. . . . . Rourke added, “Our local firefighters were amazing and were able to save some of our brand new furniture, our chapter’s charter and many pictures.”