Sigma Chi opens new house

After seven years of planning, four years of saving and $320,000, the Sigma Chi fraternity finally has a new home.

The move to rebuild began after all fraternity houses were moved off-campus and the previous Sigma Chi house was torn down. The fraternity got a jump-start on their savings when the Dallas Alumni Chapter donated $25,000 from a charity golf tournament.

The house is built into four apartments, each having four rooms, two bathrooms and a living room. The house is fully furnished, including washers and dryers, with each of the four living rooms getting new flat screen plasma TV's donated by their local alumni.

"In the next 12-18 months we hope to have our chapter house built in front of the apartments," said Scott Palomino, "there is also talk of building an in-ground pool in between the apartments and the chapter house. We've heard stories from our alumni and the memories they had in their pool and we want to create our own."

Fourteen members of the fraternity will be the first to move into their new apartments in the house. To be able to move into the house, the men had to be active fraternity members and currently enrolled at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Members went in badge order to pick their rooms. Each room is being named after the first fraternity brother who lives there. A plaque will be engraved with the brother's last name and hung over the door. Kent Holbert, the chapter's adviser, came up with the idea.

Each of the fourteen brothers will be paying $350 a month to live in the new house. The money pays for rent, all bills, including water, trash, electric, cable and internet; and chapter dues.

"You're not going to find a cheaper place in commerce," said Palomino. The lucky fourteen include Brian Pearson (Spring 2007), Micah Glascock (Fall 2007), Radi Wael Tawfiq (Fall 2007), Josh Smith (Fall 2007), James "Penguin" Cosby (Spring 2006), DJ Risinger (Fall 2006), Cody Kennedy (Spring 2007), Caleb Gillean (Spring 2008), Justin Kirk (Spring 2007), Drew Robinson (Spring 2008), John Parnell (Spring 2008), Scott Palomino (Spring 2005), Rocky Doshetty (Fall 2006), and Jon Herbert (Fall 2006).

"We are still going to continue to have our social events at our barn located out on Hwy 11, but we are looking into getting a big sheet to hang on the side of the house and a projector that way we have a big screen to watch sporting events on," said Palomino, "however, this is the Sigma Chi house, not a party house."

The dedication for the house will take place around noon the day of homecoming. Any and all are welcome to attend the event.