The front porch of OCU’s Lambda Chi Alpha chapter is undergoing renovations funded by the group with the help of alumni, including Herman Meinders.
Lambda Chi Alpha members started renovations on the fraternity house in mid-December. Marco Santos, music education/euphonium performance sophomore, risk and safety manager and house manager of Lambda Chi, said much of the renovation costs are being paid for by Herman Meinders.
According to the OCU website, Meinders is an OCU alumnus, businessman, philanthropist, Lambda Chi Alpha alumnus, and member of the OCU board of trustees.
The project entailed redoing the house’s foundation, sidewalks, front porch, and awning. Santos said Meinders volunteered to help fund the project after visiting the chapter house and seeing the uneven stairs and foundation. The rest of the costs were paid for with chapter savings and other alumni donations, he said.
“It’s tough times for everyone, including fraternities, so to fund it, we’ve always had a slight reserve which we call our house improvement budget,” Santos said. “So, every time we get our dues payment in, a small portion of that goes toward future house improvements, and after a while that accumulates to a fair amount, and if a project like this comes up where we can’t turn down an opportunity with donators already lining up to give us money, we pitch in to make it happen,” he said.
According to Lambda Chi Alpha’s website, alumni participation is integral to the fraternity.
“Lambda Chi Alpha membership is a lifetime obligation with many of our alumni taking active roles advising undergraduates and managing property assets of the fraternity,” the organization’s ‘alumni’ page reads.
Santos said the construction was expected to take two more weeks, but weather may delay it. The renovations should improve the house’s appeal to new members, he said.
“I think it’s exactly what we need. We always say we’re building foundations for the future, and that’s not only within our brothers’ future, but the experience they’ll have when they come to campus,” he said.
Zach Prall, acting sophomore and Lambda Chi Alpha member, said the fraternity is using the backdoor while construction continues, but he was excited for the project.
“It’s actually really exciting. Our house is on the older side, so to kind of keep up with all the construction around campus and the facelifts that everything’s getting, it’s kind of nice to know that our house is going to look a lot better than it did just last semester,” he said.
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