The Collegian

Issue date: 10/8/09 Section: Arts

Media Credit: Melissa Plond Women of Alpha Rho Tau complete a mural for Delta Sigma Phi.

The Delta Sigma Phi fraternity house is getting a new look.

Alpha Rho Tau, Hillsdale College's art honorary, is in the process of painting two murals within the Hillsdale Street residence. The first - painted on Oct. 2 between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. - is a mural of the group's Greek letters in the fraternity dining room. The second mural - yet unscheduled for painting - will be a 5 feet by 7 feet display of the fraternity's crest in its Edward Swanson Room.

"I hope this provides more pride for their organization," said senior Cassandra Bacon, ART's president. "It is about celebrating their group."

Junior Ryon Wiska, the fraternity's president, said the paintings were commissioned following extensive summer renovations of the fraternity house. With more eyes scrutinizing the house's atmosphere, Wiska said the idea of fostering increased fraternity pride via murals emerged.

"It was not personalized," Wiska said of the house's pre-mural state. "There was nothing that tips you off it is a fraternity house. It got to the point where we wanted to make it look like home."

Upon deciding the residence needed an artistic expression of its unity, Wiska said Delta Sigma Phi placed fliers in the Sage Center for the Arts. Advertising a need for student painters, the fliers attracted the art honorary. Bacon said the group saw an opportunity to increase its visibility and help out another student entity.

"Last year we weren't very involved either as a group or on campus," Bacon said. "This event is getting us involved. I am excited about the fact we're involved with another group on campus."

Having started the first mural, Bacon said they are talking with the fraternity about a tentative Oct. 9 finish date. After finishing the first mural, she said they will determine when to paint the more complicated crest mural in the Swanson room.

"The crest design is simple but has a lot of detail," she said. "If you organize the painting well it can go really easy."

Junior Amanda Gault, the honorary's events coordinator, said the two paintings would increase Alpha Rho Tau's visibility while strengthening ties between various groups on campus. Hopefully, she said, the project marks the start of them having a greater presence on campus.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools