By Kelly Senter
What would college be like without its fraternities? A lot less fun, that’s what! Sure they get into trouble sometimes, but we love them anyway—and they make up for it in tons of community service projects. As Menomonie Mayor Randy Knaack even said, “Kids should be allowed to be kids,” which they do with great panache.
The track records of the frats here at the University of Wisconsin–Stout are not the topic of discussion today though. Instead, people are discussing the demolition of the one and only Phi Sigma Phi house, scheduled for June 1.
In total, three homes and one across the street will be torn down to make way for a new apartment building and its parking lot.
With so much construction occurring here on campus, many students are looking for a place to stay, and the land that the fraternity house once stood on will now be two 8-plex, two-bedroom apartment buildings that are intended to house roughly 32 UW–Stout students.
“I am interested in finding better living conditions for the students,” said Mayor Knaack.
Since these apartments will be brand new, the living conditions should be pretty awesome for anyone who manages to snag one of them, and not to mention that they will be within walking distance of South Campus since they are located at the corner of 11th and 6th Street just behind Jarvis Hall.
With all these apartments moving in, Phi Sigma Phi has to move out. Mayor Knaack hopes that they stay in the community because they do a lot more than just have a good time.
“They do good things for the older folks and the kids,” said Knaack.
Knaack seems to be more supportive of students than the regular people of Menomonie. Student housing gets more luxurious while Menomonie’s citizens make do with whatever is left after UW Stout makes more parking lots.
This house destroyed replaced the one destroyed by the city (through unlawful means) and Don Williams located in the current western CVS parking lot.