LAST YEAR, at about this same time, there was a lot of concern shown within the University community regarding the Inter-Fraternity Council house rental policy and the effect it would have on student organizations outside of the Greek system. The IFC was scolded by some student groups for what seemed in their best interests, prohibiting non-Greek organizations from renting out their houses to be used as facilities for social events.
Student leaders were up in arms, and even a Cavalier Daily lead editorial claimed that if the IFC were to close their doors to non-Greeks, it would exacerbate an air of elitism surrounding the fraternity system and have detrimental effects on the University's entire social scene. A year later, with much ado about nothing in our past, very little has changed other than one new office, and the fact remains that many groups still clamor to find much-needed space to host social events. Student groups at the University are in need of a great deal of support in the form of a student activities center that suits their various needs, and the current venues the University has to offer are not sufficient enough.
The face of the University is changing, and now dozens of student organizations, including some of the new multi-cultural fraternities and sororities themselves, are in dire need of social and meeting spaces. The University itself must take further action or make immediate plans to grow and change along with this student population. Everyone is well aware that student involvement and activism is an integral part of University life, but at this point, the University seems to be trying to feed a giant elephant with just one peanut.
To sustain the high level of student interactivity and involvement in extra-curricular pursuits, the University has to come to the aid of its students and give them just a few on-Grounds outlets where they can carry out the business of their student organizations. The overnight success of the Student Activities Center (SAC) is evidence that a few computers, much-needed printing facilities and meeting spaces are in high demand. Within just a few short weeks, the SAC proved that it is a valuable resource, as hundreds of students pass in and out of its doors every week. It is obvious that the demand for such a facility is overwhelming, and it would be in the best interest of the University and its students if the idea of a student center was pursued further and on a much larger scale.
Last December, it was feared that when the IFC policy change came into effect, student groups outside of the Greek system would suffer due to a lack of physical space to host forums, parties or special events. It can be assumed that the IFC wasn't being insensitive to the needs of students outside of the fraternity system when they passed their policy, and they had every right to do so. Issues about liability and the fact that fraternity houses serve as actual living quarters made for sound arguments as to why the IFC passed the resolution.
In response, the University only took limited action. The opening of the SAC made for a sound start to meeting student needs. And although Newcomb Hall facilities policies were adjusted to allow for student groups to host events until later in the evening, the University's adjusted scheduling just is not enough and doesn't meet the needs of the dozens of student groups fighting for space to hold events.
Although the Office of Fraternity and Sorority life has talked of plans to help the ever-expanding multi-cultural Greek system move into the familiar house formats of their predominantly white counterparts, this housing solution will only spell success for a very few number of Greek-letter organizations.These groups will ultimately be met with similar housing contract and liability issues and will also be concerned with issues surrounding the purpose of their living quarters versus their social space. Greek housing solves the problem for Greek organizations but not for the thousands of other students waiting at bay. The only solid answer the University needs to pursue on behalf of the hundreds of other groups is the construction of a student activities building that actually suits the needs of more than just one student group.
For a brief moment after the rental policies took effect, student groups outside of the fraternity systems panicked. But even in the aftermath, they've made do by renting out off-Grounds facilities, such as restaurants and cafes, to host socials and parties. Hosting these activities costs student groups hundreds of dollars a semester, money that could be used to do bigger and better things, civically and socially.
At the end of each semester, organizations hound the reservations office to make their plans for the semester to come in the hopes that academic departments or University offices haven't reserved all the venues beforehand; but this should not be the case. Instead of struggling to find adequate social spaces, student groups, Greek and non-Greek should be able to find space in a University student union built to suit their diverse needs. The University must take a more active stance in meeting the needs of their student body, and this means actively pursuing the creation of a venue, such as a new student activities center, to be built as soon as possible. Although the parking deck and a new basketball arena are much-needed venues as well, students should be well aware that advocating for a full-service student center is not out of their reach either. Students and the University should make the construction of a new student center a primary objective, as a part of the South Lawn Project or as another general initiative. Although the Diversity Resource Center idea will help a few of the larger cultural student groups, it will not aid the entire population.
As the student population grows, the University must grow as well to accommodate both the students and students' needs. And what is most needed right now is more space.
(Kazz Alexander Pinkard's column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at kpinkard@cavalierdaily.com.)
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