Campus Heat Felt by All Greek Houses

I recently read an interesting essay from Colgate University in New York, in which the author discussed the decision of the university to purchase all of the fraternity and sorority houses, forcing all their students to live in university housing. The situation arose when in 2000 an off-campus car accident left four students dead and the driver in jail charged with vehicular manslaughter. Based on a task force recommendation, trustees from the university came to the conclusion that in order to have more control over their 2,750 students, all students would be forced to live in university-owned houses. By placing more control on their students, the university hoped to cut down on hazing, sexual assaults, and other incidents. Amidst five fraternities and two sororities having agreed to Colgate’s purchasing terms, many others feel strongly against it. Among those that have argued against the decision are the alumni of these fraternities and sororities some have said that the university’s plan is a “blatant land grab.” The university has denied these claims.
After reading this article and thinking about the current situation at my own university, it got lead me to think about the situations that Greek organizations put themselves into and also the universities perspective of these organizations. Although I have a hard time agreeing that a Greek organization should ever be kicked out of their house or even worse losing their chapter, many of these situations begin because of their own negligence. Contrary to Greek’s beliefs that the university is “out to get them”, the university is simply enforcing rules so as to protect their student body. Currently, the “six-pack”, the group of fraternity houses located near the Blanding and Kirwan housing complexes, is under a watchful eye because the university has bigger and better plans for these outdated houses. One of the fraternities, Phi Sigma Kappa, has already been kicked out of their house and if they can’t come up with enough funds to pay for all the repairs to pass fire code they will lose it. Another fraternity in the “six-pack”, Farmhouse, has seen this coming for a while and currently has a blueprint for a new house as well as the land. Like I previously stated, my own fraternity house is reportedly being pushed off our on campus location as well. It will be interesting in the long run to see what becomes of this land and what the university does with it.

The article from the Kentucky Kernel can be found here http://kykernel.com/2008/09/15/the-six-pack/

Day of Observation

Since living at the Alpha Tau Omega house, I have seen the good and the bad of everything. But because I did not want to judge my observations solely on those experiences, I sat down for a good twenty to thirty minutes outside of the house and some thoughts and observations came to mind. First, I thought about how the university has been asked by the donors of the William T. Young Library to tear our house down to allow there to be beautiful green space surrounding the multimillion dollar building. The Alpha Tau Omega house has been at 341 Hilltop Avenue since the 1950’s. The house has seen many changes to its surroundings, from a neighborhood and a pond, to present with a parking structure and K-lair. There is a lot of history within the walls of the ATO house and it is spoken through the alumni. It just seems unfair for the same alumni to not come back to this house. Although I will agree that there comes a time to move on, but there is also a right way to do that. Furthermore, many of the fraternity houses are either being moved or have already been moved further away from the students and classrooms. Our location makes us unique as an organization. For some people, we are the first building they see in the morning and those can really be lasting memories. Along with looking at the house and the library, I noticed the wide variety of students that attend this fine university. Some of which are walking with friends maybe from school or maybe new friends they just met, but on the other hand, you have the kids who walk alone, in solitude, maybe enjoying the sweet sounds from their IPod. Realizing the differences in students walking to class made me realize why organizations, such as the Greeks, can be such a positive in a young person’s life. I personally wanted to meet new people and be able to start new relationships. I knew that I would always have my friends from high school but being able to meet an assortment of characters and personalities has been somewhat of a blessing in some cases. On the other hand, I realize that sometimes the Greek system is not exactly what people are looking for in their college experience, but that does not mean they cannot have the same experience I do. Usually my day consists of rushing out the front door to get to class, but having the time to sit back and take in some of the things that college gives us was surprisingly relaxing and gave me the opportunity to see how far I have come in only a year and almost a half.

Interview with a Student

Recently, I conducted an interview with a current student here at UK. Being a Greek herself, she could relate with the questions and gave some very good insight on her thoughts and opinions. Here is what was discussed:

1. When you hear the term “fraternity house”, what comes to mind?

My mind automatically compares fraternity houses to what I’ve seen in the movies and on television. I imagine constant drinking and partying, boys running around in togas, and crazy events constantly occurring such as food fights. I imagine the house to be a mess, with no one cleaning it and piles of garbage throughout the house. I picture boys running rampant, doing whatever crazy antics they please because no one is there to watch them. There is no adult supervision. I also imagine rooms designated for certain fraternity rituals, with things such as skull and crossbones, candles, and other ritual things. I also picture rooms for hazing, which is common theme of fraternities, at least in the media. I honestly don’t know how anyone would get any work done or how they would even be able to keep up with school if they lived in a fraternity house.

2. What is your aesthetic opinion of the Alpha Tau Omega house?

I actually like the look of the house. It has a very neat colonial look to it. The porch is also nice. When walking to the library I often see people outside on the patio having a good time and blasting music. You can tell however the house is quite old. The front steps are decrepit and falling apart. Some of the wood looks very bad. But I like the unique look of the house. It stands out and looks better than those in the 6-pack.

3. Have you ever been in a fraternity house?

Yes, I went in a fraternity house at Miami University in Ohio. It wasn’t like I expected. It looked like something out of Martha’s Vineyard with ivy and stone. The house seemed very stuff and fake.

4. What is your opinion on the university wanting to relocate the ATO house?

Obviously the relocation of the ATO house doesn’t really affect me. I could see how the university might think that the ATO house is a nuisance in front of their multi-million dollar library. Or maybe the school wants more space for other things. It seems like the university is trying to clean up the campus and get ride of their partying image and maybe they are doing this by getting rid of the visible fraternity houses, since they are also tearing down the 6-pack. But I think the presence of Greek life is important on any campus. It adds character and uniqueness.

Introduction

Some may think that the perfect example of a fraternity is shown in the famous 1978 movie Animal House. Some may believe that members of a fraternity are inclusive and drink every night. Some may feel that you are “paying for your friends” in a fraternity. Somewhat going against my parents wishes of waiting, I pledged the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity my fall semester of my freshman year. I was later initiated in December and forever became a Tau. After moving into the fraternity house in the spring semester of my freshman year and attempting to be more involved in the chapter this year, I have seen everything from the good to the bad and I have learned really what a fraternity means. Not only am I associated with the current members of Alpha Tau Omega but also the members of years past. The alumni are an essential part of any organization. I have friends currently on both sides of the fence; those have gone Greek and those who refer to themselves as GDI’s (God Damn Independent). Being located directly in front of the William T. Young Library, they see our house as an eye sore to their finely groomed campus but to our members and those who live in the house we would be nothing without it. Through firsthand experience, research, and personal accounts I will be able to examine what the Alpha Tau Omega house really means and how it affects people.