Another system bites the dust

[GammaZeta]

Well, most of you probably have no idea but the Umass-Amherst Greek System (most notably the location of our very first chapter) has been shrinking over the last decade and a half.

The University of Mass. has bought half of the heart of our Greek System, namely the 5 main houses on "frat row", and will tear them down in a matter of days.

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Here's the story:

UMass buys 5 houses
Friday, October 06, 2006
By HOLLY ANGELO
hangelo@repub.com
AMHERST - The University of Massachusetts-Amherst has signed a purchase-and-sale agreement with Alpha Tau Gamma Inc. to buy five fraternity houses on North Pleasant Street for $2.5 million.

The empty houses are located at 375, 387, 389, 395 and 401 N. Pleasant St. The structures are scheduled to be razed any day now as part of the sales agreement.

"We are satisfied," said James E. Mulcahy, treasurer of Alpha Tau Gamma Inc. (ATG Inc.), yesterday. "We felt from day one the property would be most valuable to UMass than anyone else."

Once ATG Inc. meets the terms of the agreement, a closing of the sale will take place.

After that, ATG Inc. will donate $500,001 to the Stockbridge School of Agriculture to establish an endowed professorship for the position of the director of the school.

The named professorship will be called the Alpha Tau Gamma Fred P. Jeffrey Chair , named after the former director who died in 1997.

Before the closing, the company must remove asbestos and any other hazardous materials from the houses, remove utilities, raze the houses, remove shrubs and plant grass.

Mulcahy said most of the utilities are gone, along with the shrubs. Remediation has also been carried out inside the houses.

Edward F. Blaguszewski, news and information director at UMass, said the university hopes to take possession of the property this fall. He called the purchase-and-sale agreement fair. He said there are no immediate plans to build on the 1.8-acre site.

"We feel this is an important piece of property for the future development of the university. It's adjacent to campus. We already have a presence in that area. It just makes sense," Blaguszewski said. "We may not use this property for one year, five years or 10 years."

Mulcahy said ATG Inc. first offered the property to UMass in January 2003 for $3 million.

"It took us awhile to come to an agreement," Mulcahy said.

Mulcahy said there is some nostalgia attached to the demolition of the homes, but it is part of the agreement.

"The building demolition will start imminently, maybe today or tomorrow or the beginning of next week," Mulcahy said.

Once the deal goes through, ATG Inc. plans on paying off its debt obligation, establishing the professorship, and maintaining its remaining property at 118 Sunset Ave. debt free.

End story
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Umass really isn't your typical Greek campus. The numbers of greeks are usually below 2%. In the history of Umass, there has only been 1 sorority that has survived without a physical residence (outside of fraternities focusing on ethnic makeup).

Some of you may suggest that the Greeks will move into the dorms with specific floors, etc., but the attitude and the physical makeup of the campus will never accomodate such a future.

The most ironic thing is that since the Greeks have been in decline and the houses shut down, Umass has moved up to #7 on the top party shool list AND crime involving university students and neighboring residents have GONE UP over 200% (almost 200 arrests in the first week of school alone this year).

A video of the current condition of frat row can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSeCzHrM5G4&eurl=

I guess what I am trying to say is to enjoy it while it lasts. Soon all physical memories of the greatest years of thousands of peoples lives will be erased. The memories will now live on in our alumni, friends and family.

So for all you current Greeks, slow down once in a while and enjoy it.

[33girl]

Is ATG a fraternity on the campus? If so, why on earth did they agree to this?

The only thing I can recommend is to have unmarked houses - I'm guessing Amherst has old subdivided houses that random students rent apartments in. There's nothing to prevent members of the same fraternity from all living in apartments the same house. I know it's not the same, but it's better than nothing. Plus, it's harder for the school or community to pin something on the "fraternity" houses.

We had nothing but unmarked houses (except for one or two) when I started school 20 years ago, and I honestly think the Greek system was stronger than when everyone started getting official houses.

[GammaZeta]

Yes, ATG is actually a local fraternity based on the Stockbridge (Agriculture) School. The houses they own are part of the corporation. In this deal, I'm pretty sure ATG will survive no matter what considering that most men in the Stockbridge Program join. So a few million dollars in their bank isn't a bad idea.

Amherst is very particular, and in many cases City Hall does not abide by their own laws. There is a specific zoning for fraternity/sororit houses that I'm 100% sure that the town council will NEVER grant to any house anywhere in Amherst.

The reason the Greek community lasted at Umass for so long was the physical presence of frat row. Unmarked or scattered houses just won't be able to cut it I'm afraid.

[Tom Earp]

Sad to hear.

Have called and PMed you.

What?

[john1082]

We have to demonstrate our value every day. If administrators see greater valuve in not having a Greek system then that is what will happen.

Value comes in many forms. We must determine what constitutes value for each of our 'customers' and then present that.

Administrators may find value in orderliness and no problems. They may like the idea of having someone else in the disciplinary change. Whatever they find of value is what we have to present.

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by john1082

We have to demonstrate our value every day. If administrators see greater valuve in not having a Greek system then that is what will happen.

Value comes in many forms. We must determine what constitutes value for each of our 'customers' and then present that.

Administrators may find value in orderliness and no problems. They may like the idea of having someone else in the disciplinary change. Whatever they find of value is what we have to present.

John, what many do not realize is that IHQ, Our IHQ, are looking at Zetas who do not want to deem it important enough to heed what Our National Fraterity stands for.


We have one of if not the finest Fraternity as many of us have seen that We have been leaders on many areas and in many arenas.

But, if there are a few Zetas who do not heed the warning signs then so be it.

So, whose fault is it?

The ELCs have a different agenda today than they may have before, but, they are doing a heck of a job now under new leadership.

If a Zeta does not want to agree with the Tenets of LXA, then there is no other judgement than to close them.

Beleive Me, We are not the only ones.

That is what is sad.

[GammaZeta]

Tom, are you still talking about Umass or somewhere else?

I do think that we are beginning to see a significant change in the structure and status of Greek Systems everywhere.

We may be seeing a trend in smaller, more exclusive settings, much like fraternities were in the early part of last century before they started to change. In a few decades, I can imagine fraternities being almost exclusively at more well-to-do colleges and universities and viewed more like a social club.

I think it is a cycle. Slowly we are having to go back to the origins of a social club, and then that trend will slowly evovle back into the "Animal House" type that we are more familiar with.

[john1082]

Tom, I have had administrators tell me that fraternities are good because they keep alumni coming back and giving - in other words, we were a potential cash com.

Other administrators see fraternities as something to go after to prove that they (the administrators) are truly focused on academics and not frivolities.

Yet another group sees no need for a social fraternity and would prefer to generate group 'conciousness' through ethnic and lifestyle groups, not traditional fraternities and sororities.

In each of these examples, what we believe takes a back seat, in practical terms, to what the administrations believe.

What we have to do is demonstrate value to the administrations - playing by our rules is of no value to the administration in example #2 above because they see no value in the operation of a greek system and great value in getting rid of it to prove their toughness. In example #3, our values have nothing to do with generating ethic or lifestyle identity.

For all their statements espousing leadership and the like, we must judge administrators by their actions, not their words. The committment of a university is seen through their actions, not their words. If it takes 13 months to replace a greek affairs advisor, what message does that send.

BTW, that 13 month example is from Cal State Fullerton! Universities have to keep up their end of the bargain, too. And they are, oftentimes, trying to whittle away at their side while piling more up on our side. At some point a campus simply becomes unworkable as a greek campus.

[GammaZeta]

Amen John, well said.

Many times these college and university adminstrations play by their own rules.

It is very easy for them to turn and twist an event or a story to suit their own needs, especially in your examples 1 - 3. Unfortunately, the administration will always have more credibility than a fraternity.

John, with you being a lawyer, you know all too well that there is more than one side to a story. However, many people in the general public fail to remember that when dealing with fraternities.

For instance, I do not think that the crime rate at Umass and the closing of frat row is just a coincidence (sp). When fraternities at Umass had parties, and what fraternity in the world doesn't have a party, they were managed well, secured, well run, you had 30 sober brothers making sure everything was ok. The brothers of the fraternities took great pride in providing a safe environment because they knew their reputation, housing, charter, etc., were all on the line.

Now today, you have students throwing house parties all over Amherst. A non-greek house of 4 or 5 people simply cannot provide a safe environment. They throw open their doors, tap a few kegs, and HUNDREDS of people show up!

So yeah, the administration wanted to "crack down on drinking" and "boost public safety" by getting rid of the frats, and you know what happened? We moved up to the #7 party school and crime is at an all time high.

[john1082]

I have always wanted to have an opportunity to tell an administrator "OK, they're YOUR problem now" when a house is closed.

The parties will be unregulated. There will be alcohol related deaths, either of students or of the poor folks on the other end of their automobiles. The activity will take place in far more dispersed areas as well. It will be interesting to come back in ten years and see how the campus has fared.

[GammaZeta]

EXACTLY JOHN!

Fraternities are the perfect place to host social events and have played that role on college campuses for almost 3/4 of a century.

Every fraternity throws parties. Yes, even some of you on this board may not believe that your lil' angel chapters would never, EVER submit to throwing a party or social event. But guess what, THEY DO!

So now, the administration at Umass is stuck with a student population of thousands of kids EVERY weekend, getting into cars, going to parties in neighboring cities and towns, going to unregulated parties with no one accountable, no security, spreading out across one of the wealthiest towns in Massachusetts causing property values to decline.

So with the elimination of most fraternities at Umass, CRIME IS UP, DRINKING IS UP! Go figure. The town, police and administration were so intent on making an example out of someone, ANYONE, just to show they were tough. You know what? They shot themselves in the foot. They went after the very people that were not causing the problems!

Sure frat row at Umass had it's problems, but 99.9% of the crimes occurred outside of the greek system. We had one rape in about 15 years, and that fraternity was promptly shut down and banned forever. However, there are dozens of rapes a semester in just the Southwest area of dorms at Umass!

A greek system is self regulating in most instances. It's when the administration, or police, or town comes in and starts to over regulate, or impose their agenda, that has a negative effect.

[Tom Earp]

John, what you said is so true. That is why many Colleges want Nationals only for the control of said Nationals. Good, bad or indifferent to some, it is important to those who are concerned.

The one that sticks in my mind for a positive is Troy State in Ala. Of course the anti-is Alfred in NY who kicked ALL GLOs off of campus because of a locals discretion.

GammaZeta, it is pointed at what We have discussed many times.

[GammaZeta]

You crazy ol' man Tom!