In addition to a $1.5 million renovation of Phi Kappa Psi’s house, members have decided to make the fraternity alcohol-free. These are only two of the major changes the fraternity plans to make during the next six months.

Wesley Randell, an alumni of Phi Kappa Psi, said they are following the university’s lead. He said only men over the age of 21 are allowed to drink in the fraternity house rooms.

“No one can drink in the common area,” Randell said.

Randell also said the fraternity was in total sympathy with Iowa State President Martin Jischke’s proposal for students to take the pledge for an alcohol-free Veishea.

Randell said he would like to see “Veishea continued without the murders.”

Another anti-drinking step Phi Kappa Psi has taken is hosting the ISU division of Student’s Against Drunk Driving. SADD meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. and is open to all students.

To promote the renovation of their house, Phi Kappa Psi had a fund-raiser kickoff barbecue Saturday with current fraternity members and alumni.

The fund-raiser is expected to take six months. Members said most of the money will come from alumni donations.

The house will be completely gutted and the inside rebuilt. An addition will also be built on the back of the house so the fraternity can accommodate more members.

Currently, 20 Phi Kappa Psi members live in the house. The newly renovated house will hold twice as many members.

The house, which was built in 1923, has not been renovated since 1959.

Another change the fraternity has already made is the return of the “house mother.” Dee Betts has been Phi Kappa Psi’s house mother for four years.

Phi Kappa Phi prides itself on being a non-traditional fraternity.

Brian Jameson, chairman of Rush and a junior in elementary education, said it is a “social fraternity with an academic emphasis.”

Another member of Phi Kappa Psi, Doug Bywater, a junior in marketing, said Phi Kappa Psi is a fraternity for men who want to be in a fraternity, but do not want to commit their time to things such as Veishea floats and a lot of social activities.

Bywater said they have not had a Veishea float for the past three years.

Although the fraternity doesn’t participate in Veishea by building a float, Bywater said they would like to see Veishea continue.