By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The new houses for Greeks on the Bowling Green State University campus generated smiles from visitors, especially those looking forward to moving in a few days.
While the amenities, large bedrooms, kitchens, and open spaces drew raves, it was the sense of togetherness the place would foster that seemed to most warm the hearts of future residents.
Delaney Poor, a sister of Delta Gamma, said having the sorority back in its own house will mean “you always have a support system. There will always be someone here for you.”
Her Delta Gamma sister Lauren Gillespie said it will allow them “to share their sisterhood in a special place.”
One of the features of the new townhouse-style houses is each will have a chapter room, a place big enough to gather all the members of the chapter, including the majority not living in the house, into one place for meetings.
Alyssa Karaffa, a 2010 BGSU graduate and member of Alpha Delta Xi, said in the past the larger chapters would have to use several rooms to hold meetings.
“We won’t be scattered across campus anymore,” said Molly Post, who will live in the Omega Phi Alpha house. Greeks were given space in Kohl Hall after the old houses were torn down.
“It will give us a chance to have a home place to gather have more a sense of sisterhood,” Post said.
And, she added, the complex with its uniform look will serve another purpose, to create greater unity within the entire BGSU Greek community.
Sarah Waters, director of residence life, said that was one of the goals. The university wants to build on the strengths that Greek organizations bring to campus, and the new housing is a major part of that.
Fraternities and sororities focus on academic success, develop leadership skills, and promote philanthropy. All the chapters’ national units have charities they support and the local members rally behind those.
Greeks also graduate at a higher rate. Waters said 90 percent of those who join a sorority or fraternity in their first year stay at BGSU to graduate. That’s higher than average.
“They are truly engaged,” Waters said, crediting upper classmen who serve as role models.
Kurt Jump, who graduated with an undergraduate degree in 1968 and master’s degree in 1981, was a Kappa Sigma while on campus, though he allowed he wasn’t very active.
Still the Bowling Green resident and his fellow BGSU alumnus John Furlong decided they wanted to take the tour. They watched as the village was being built, and figured “this may be my only chance to get a peek inside,” Jump said.
Furlong said he was impressed with the facilities particularly the kitchens. “We weren’t even allowed to have hot plates but we did”
He did note that during the blizzard of ’78 those hot plates pressed into service to melt snow so there was water to flush the toilets.
The townhouses, ranging from four- to 18-bed units will have room for 426 students. That’s fewer than the old units, which could house 550 at most, though more recently with the elimination of triple occupancy rooms, that was down to 520.
Since the university owns the houses, it requires they be used to capacity, just like a dorm, and that put pressure on members to live in a house even when they wanted to live off campus. The smaller house acknowledges the appeal of that off-campus housing.
The Greek Village cost $37 million. Waters said her office spent $4 million to demolish the old units. The remaining $33 million was borrowed. Those bonds will be paid off from students’ housing fees as well as a new “parlor fee.” That fee will be charged to all members of the fraternity whether they live in the house or not.
The accommodations are also designed to be uniform with the best on campus those in Centennial Hall and Falcon Heights, Waters said.
That includes air conditioning. Karaffa said that was the biggest improvement over the old houses. “It was hot,” she said of the sorority she lived in.
After Karaffa detailed all the benefits of the new houses from the clean aesthetics, the efficient layout and the climate control, she admitted her reaction was bittersweet given the house she lived in had been torn down.
“I’m definitely sad,” she said. “You have memories there.” Still, she concluded, “I’m definitely excited for new sororities and fraternities.”
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