Bid day isn’t the only thing the Panhellenic Association has to be excited about this week. At its meeting last Thursday, Campus Council voted to allocate Central Campus housing to Panhel and two fraternities, Pi Kappa Phi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
Although these changes are a step in the right direction in addressing the spatial concerns of Panhel and building community on Central Campus, more action is needed on both fronts.
For years, Panhel has petitioned the administration for space on West Campus to use for programming and recruitment events. While it’s not exactly what the organization has been lobbying for, housing on Central is a partial solution.
Next year, members of the nine Panhellenic Association sororities will be able to live together in a block of two units on Central. This has the potential to foster inter-sorority unity, empower women and strengthen the lobbying power of Panhel, the largest student organization.
Still, space on Central only provides a short-term, stop-gap solution to the needs of the Panhellenic community. When the economy rebounds and the construction of New Campus begins, Panhel should be at the top of the list of organizations to receive space.
Creating a section for Panhel and the two fraternities also raises a larger question about the allocation of housing on Central.
Right now, the haphazard, scattered orientation of apartment buildings prevents the formation of a community environment on Central Campus. The addition of living groups can somewhat alleviate this problem.
But simply putting a few more sections on Central does not go far enough to address the sense of isolation that characterizes the Central Campus living experience for many. In addition to the five living communities that will be on Central next year—Panhel, SHARE, Ubuntu and the two fraternities—Campus Council and RLHS should look to populate Central with more selective and elective groups.
Thus far, only highly organized groups with a strong lobbying presence have been able to acquire living space on Central, leaving many students with ideas for new living communities out of consideration.
To change this status quo, Campus Council should develop and publicize a process by which student groups can obtain a section on Central. Doing so would allow enterprising individuals looking for a community-oriented living experience to start a group.
In order to encourage students to take advantage of the opportunity, the bar for creating a selective living group should initially be set low. In the long run, however, some evaluation is necessary to ensure continuity of groups from year to year.
Alternatively, incorporating elective living models around a certain theme—similar to West Campus’ “East Meets West” and “substance free” sections—can offer independents a community experience on Central without forcing them to join a formal living group.
As the University begins to wrap up the first phase of physical improvements to Central Campus this semester, it should remember that when it comes to providing space for Panhel and creating a community on Central, the work has only just begun.
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