In the 1980s, the Phi Tau residence began to face serious structural problems after the removal of a porch on the south side of the building. The walls of the building were constructed out of brick. Presented with different loads and stresses, the north wall began to bulge outward by nearly half a meter, and was literally threatening to explode. Large steel plates were placed on the outside of the building and steel tie rods were threaded through the building between the ground and second floor to pull the plates together and force the exterior walls to straighten. A new tradition began of articles in alumni newsletters proclaiming, "The north wall is still standing!"