With murals and concerts, frat sets itself apart

The doorbell was set to the tune of the Star Spangled Banner. As it rang through the whole house, the fraternity brothers stopped for a moment, grinning.

"Listen to that!" Engineering sophomore Alex Numann said.

"We're hearing America," College junior Matt Fiedler exclaimed.

Sitting on the couch that arrived yesterday from his ex-girlfriend's uncle, Fiedler looked around and smiled.

His Pi Lambda Phi brother, Jesse Harding, continued the conversation, bringing up a somewhat esoteric subject: human-flavored tofu.

"Every year we say we're going to get it, but we never do," said Harding, a College sophomore.

"I don't think it exists," Numann said.

Fiedler, however, the president of Pi Lambda Phi, chose not to get involved in the bickering that sprouted up in the conversation.

And that's because conversations like this one are everyday occurrences at PiLam - the talks are what Numann calls "philosophical debates," and they're an aspect what he says sets this frat apart from their Greek counterparts at Penn.

But the offbeat quality doesn't stop at their conversation topics.

The frat's marshall is a reverend, its house doubles as a concert venue, and, every year, the frat hosts a "Human Barbecue" - sans tofu.

With a membership of "somewhere around 20" brothers and a pledge class of seven people, Fiedler said his frat doesn't need to advertise much; they attract new people simply by being themselves.

"A lot of times, we just stand out on the steps and people come up to us," Fiedler said.

And for the first time in a while, brothers can now actually bring their guests inside.

Their house at 3914 Spruce St. was condemned three years ago, said College junior and Pi Lambda Phi brother Joe Graff, well-known on campus as the guy on the unicycle.

The brothers lived on the fifth floor of Hill House during fall semester after the house renovations were delayed and, in December, happily moved back to the house.

Despite the fire alarm that is "still acting weird," an un-finished basement and some missing audio equipment, Fiedler said everything is running smoothly.

PiLam has big plans for its house, including having its pledges paint murals on the walls.

A fitting event for a frat united by an interest in "music, art, and culture," Fiedler pointed out.

"I think it's really important for Penn to connect the Philadelphia music scene to campus," he said, adding that their next concert is planned for Feb. 23.

So now that they have the couch taken care of, they're starting planning for their concerts.

The brothers plan to begin building the stage this weekend.

"We've got our work cut out for us," Numann said.

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