GA president assails ban on new frat houses

[Senusret I]

it also threatens...the eclectic diversity
of our neighborhoods

What could be more eclectic than a Kappa Alpha house in a black neighborhood? I wouldn't mind a fraternity house in my neighborhood. (Also mostly black)

[shinerbock]

I doubt the KA's are happy about having to live in that neighborhood either.

[notyouraverage]

I'm not sure why Kappa Alpha chose that location, except that its on the bus route and close to downtown... but I do know that the frats being moved off campus are not, despite what the e-mail claims, compensated nicely for their move. The property they are being moved off of is worth like three times what they are being given!

[Optimist Prime]

Originally posted by notyouraverage
I'm not sure why Kappa Alpha chose that location, except that its on the bus route and close to downtown...

those seem like good reasons to me

[UGATammy]

I'm a DPhiE alum at UGA and our house is on Lumpkin (same street that KA is on but only further down). I can't tell you how disturbing it is to have the university be so rude to the Greeks. Honestly, the fraternity and sorority houses on campus add characteristic to the university. It honestly sucks having the administration hate the Greeks so much. As of right now there are 9 houses on Lumpkin Street. In the end, UGA's president is trying to create a Greek Village...aka...putting all the Greeks in this one corner of campus so he can use their houses as other buildings for classes. I don't know exactly what is going to happen, but I bet it'll be harder than the university thought to get these fraternities and sororities off the street because there is way too many alumni that donate (which of course brings in ALOT of the $$$) and way too much history. Also, there's fraternity house that is in a residential area (Kappa Alpha Psi), so why can't any of the other fraternities be there too?

Tammy

[Tom Earp]

This seems to be the norm of the day anymore.

As was mentioned when Conflicts of war are over, The Greek Houses were welcomed for Houseing.

What is amazing today, is that eating up land owned by Greeks is not normaly for More Dorms, but more Education facilities or many other things.

My Alma Mater PSU, Ks, had 5 mens dorms, 5 womens dorms and 3 Married facilities Dorms type Apartment.

Now in among the Mens Dorms are the Campus radio and Campus Police. 1 Womens Dorm was torn down and a Court Yard there for the Meal Center, and The Married Dorms are closed for expansion. Go figure that? Maybe there are kick backs from Apartment Owners which is a big business in The Pitt.

Yet, No Freshmen are allowed to live in Greek Houses.

While I have seen the Campus owned GLO Housing work, it is not that many because of the cost to the GLOs.

My Alam Mater Pres. tried this crap and All were up in arms and there is hard feelings with a Member of AGD IHQ about Him. I coiuldnt agree more with Her, He Do Talk aout of Both sides of His mouth.

About Alums donating Money to Their Schools, I am sure many GLO Members such as Me do not give Donations to the School while some do and maybe many more $$$$ because of the Affiliation of their respective GLOs.

Just tell them No, If My GLO is not there any longerr, dont look from any Money from ME!!!!!!!

[notyouraverage]

Originally posted by Optimist Prime
those seem like good reasons to me

I just meant that there are plenty of other places in Athens that meet those two particular needs.

UGA seems to already have a "Greek Village" - Milledge Avenue where most Greeks houses are, except those on Lumpkin, and one on Baxter, right? And, of course, those already on River Road where administration is trying to move the five being kicked off campus. I don't know why chapters already living in the Milledge area would want to move when we already are close to other Greeks and have beautiful old houses full of history.

Tammy, the DPhiE house at UGA is so unique! I love it and practically swerve into the other lane every time I drive by it because I'm gawking!

[Firehouse]

Maybe this action by the county will actually help the Lumpkin fraternities. If they cannot move to new housing on other property, then the University will have a hard time just pushing them off their land with no place to go.
Who's on River road? I remember seeing an abandoned ATO house, and the big white Kappa Sig house and a Sigma Nu house (I think). Has that ever been a significant concentration of fraternities?

[UGATammy]

Originally posted by notyouraverage
I just meant that there are plenty of other places in Athens that meet those two particular needs.

UGA seems to already have a "Greek Village" - Milledge Avenue where most Greeks houses are, except those on Lumpkin, and one on Baxter, right? And, of course, those already on River Road where administration is trying to move the five being kicked off campus. I don't know why chapters already living in the Milledge area would want to move when we already are close to other Greeks and have beautiful old houses full of history.

Tammy, the DPhiE house at UGA is so unique! I love it and practically swerve into the other lane every time I drive by it because I'm gawking!

Thanks so much notyouraverage for the compliments. I absolutely loved our house (lived in it for 3 years!) because it looked so different, and not to mention the awesome location on campus.

I guess you could define Milledge Ave as "Greek Village," but a lot of the fraternities are starting to branch out and move away from the main concentration of the "Greek Village" (i.e. Sigma Pi and Delta Tau Delta, Kappa Sig, SAE). I guess what upsets me the most is that the president is trying to move everyone off so that he can more space for university facility purposes. I just hate seeing all that history and character go down the drain like that. The Greek houses adds so much to the campus and university. All the visitors love looking at their houses. I think putting all the Greeks in just one area especially "off campus" will just help create more of a stigma of the Greeks (parties, etc). If the university wants to expand then they should expand outward, there's tons of land and not try to put the Greeks by themselves.

Tammy

[Beaver]

That is messed up.

[ElectChuckJones]

My name is Chuck Jones and I am a 2005 graduate of the University of Georgia Law School. I practice law in Athens, and I was as angry as everyone else when I saw that the Mayor and Commission had banned Greek houses in Athens.

I was never a fraternity brother myself, but if there is one thing I can't stand it's a stereotype - especially a stereotype against people who do so much for the community. Last year, UGA sororities raised close to $100,000 and committed more than 20,000 hours of community service, for programs like the Coalition Against Domestic Violence, cancer research, Hurricane Katrina relief, et cetera. I have not yet received the philanthropy statistics from male fraternites, but I have every reason to believe they are just as impressive.

However, the prejudice against Greeks does not allow the elected officials to see the good that they contribute to the community; all they see is the "animal house" stereotype. In fact, within a week after the ban was passed, the Cobbham Neighborhood Association had a party in front of the house that the fraternity bought and now cannot use. I thought that was the most classless thing I had ever seen. I was even more startled, however, when I went to that party and the past president of the group told me, and I quote, "We're going to watch Animal House later as an example of what we don't want in our community." Maybe this is just me, maybe my standards are too high, but I think that anyone with any sense at all ought to know that was just a fictional movie. It was not a documentary.

This issue made me so mad that I decided to do something about it. Tomorrow, April 4, at the UGA Arch, I will be announcing my candidacy for the Athens-Clarke County Commission. My website is (mostly) up, at http://www.electchuckjones.com I am looking forward to "going to bat" for Greeks in this community - as I said I was never Greek myself but I have seen the good work they do for the community and I think they are entitled to some give and take.

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me from my site or reply here. I'm very eager to go to bat on this issue and help dispel the stereotype. Thank you very much!

[Tom Earp]

Originally posted by ElectChuckJones
My name is Chuck Jones and I am a 2005 graduate of the University of Georgia Law School. I practice law in Athens, and I was as angry as everyone else when I saw that the Mayor and Commission had banned Greek houses in Athens.

I was never a fraternity brother myself, but if there is one thing I can't stand it's a stereotype - especially a stereotype against people who do so much for the community. Last year, UGA sororities raised close to $100,000 and committed more than 20,000 hours of community service, for programs like the Coalition Against Domestic Violence, cancer research, Hurricane Katrina relief, et cetera. I have not yet received the philanthropy statistics from male fraternites, but I have every reason to believe they are just as impressive.

However, the prejudice against Greeks does not allow the elected officials to see the good that they contribute to the community; all they see is the "animal house" stereotype. In fact, within a week after the ban was passed, the Cobbham Neighborhood Association had a party in front of the house that the fraternity bought and now cannot use. I thought that was the most classless thing I had ever seen. I was even more startled, however, when I went to that party and the past president of the group told me, and I quote, "We're going to watch Animal House later as an example of what we don't want in our community." Maybe this is just me, maybe my standards are too high, but I think that anyone with any sense at all ought to know that was just a fictional movie. It was not a documentary.

This issue made me so mad that I decided to do something about it. Tomorrow, April 4, at the UGA Arch, I will be announcing my candidacy for the Athens-Clarke County Commission. My website is (mostly) up, at http://www.electchuckjones.com I am looking forward to "going to bat" for Greeks in this community - as I said I was never Greek myself but I have seen the good work they do for the community and I think they are entitled to some give and take.

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me from my site or reply here. I'm very eager to go to bat on this issue and help dispel the stereotype. Thank you very much!

I for one am very impressed by Your post and what beining a Non Greek it means to You.

Your understanding of Greek Life can be to The Community is well Appreciated.

Thank You for Your input!

If You are serious, I do Hope that You Win! There is a lot of good things that Greeks do that are never seen. LXA Has the Biggest Food Drive of anyone and All Greeks have their own Charitys that are given a lot of Money and Time.

This not only counts those as Major Charitys, but the many Smaller Events that are being done By Greeks for Those that are In Need!

[KappaSigSammyV]

Talkin about this Cobb County (Georgia) home to two colleges with Greek Life, prohibits greek housing.

[Tom Earp]

Tried to find a Greek Link on UGa. Site. Couldnt find it.

Guess that shows what they feel about Greek Orgs.

If I am in error, please post link for me.

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by Tom Earp
Tried to find a Greek Link on UGa. Site. Couldnt find it.

Guess that shows what they feel about Greek Orgs.

If I am in error, please post link for me.

http://www.uga.edu/greeklife/