[HPU PIKE]

I can somewhat relate to the students/alumni of Colgate in their current situation. I too have had to deal with an administration/BOT that have attempted to gain totalitarian control over every aspect of Greek Life on my campus. These types of situations can be quite discouraging. In my small, Greek community, each of the 4 fraternities had a house on campus owned by the school. With little or no warning, occupants were informed that the houses were to be torn down at the end of the Spring semester (of 03' I believe).

At first, the administration seemed to be completely on our side. Members of each fraternity were invited to meetings where blue-prints, plans, and drawings of our 4 new INDIVIDUAL fraternity houses. Some time passes, more meetings take place. At each meeting, the expectations for our new houses traveled farther and farther away from the original plans. What we ended up with:

2 Apartment style buildings, to house 2 fraternities in each. Hardly what we had envisioned. The buildings were built and are owned by an outside company, while leecing the land that the buildings are on from the university. We pay rent each month (which can't be paid for through university financial aid) to this outside company, yet we are forced to purchase a $3700 a year meal plan (each apt. has a full kitchen, all appliances included).

Basically, we were told a load of bullisht so that we wouldn't cause a to-do about our old houses being torn down. We were promised something that we didn't recieve. We now feel as though the university's true intentions are to kick the fraternities out of the apts. and open the housing up to independant students. Almost as if the Fraternities were just a reason for the University to add two new residential buildings to campus, that they will eventually take ownership of (appx. 30 yrs.).

I definitely feel for the students/alumni at Colgate. Sometimes I wonder if universities like ours appreciate what they have in a small, but strong Greek system.