Here’s the deal: for a Greek organization to be grounded on campus, it needs a house. It needs a central hub to plan events, build close relationships and have a place members can call home.
Greek organizations focused around community service or another specific interest may not put so much stake in having a property in the village, but the number of those joining Greek organizations have been growing very rapidly in the past few years.
That risk of overcrowding is why the Greek Village expansion plan — still in the early stages of development — is sorely overdue.
Not that the university could have done much about it. With the construction of the business school and Women's Quad renovation taking up the past few years, Greek life's needs were put on the back burner, and understandably so.
Now, however, when at least six more houses are needed to account for potential Greek organizations, the school is looking to looking at a plot of land on Blossom Street, which would only hold four or five houses, maximum.
The danger here is that if the upswing in the Greek population continues, even more expensive land deals would be necessary not long after these new houses are built.
We feel that if the school is going to buy land, it should do so with a long view of the future of Greek life in mind. The space should be chosen with future expansions in mind, instead of putting a cap on a community that would inevitably outgrow the space, like was done in 2002.
Additionally, the location of these houses could have an effect on new members’ desire to join them. Already, not having a house is a disincentive for those looking to have a continuous communal atmosphere.
What would those potential Greek life students think if they find they’re pledging a house located significantly far away from the central Greek Village?
While it might not dissuade some, others might see it as reason enough to drop the concept altogether.
We do not envy the school in their choices. It is very hard to requisition land in a city like Columbia, let alone find somewhere that appeases all parties. We understand this is a difficult position to be in.
Even so, if the university fails to account for the growth of the student body’s Greek population now, more planning and re-planning will soon be needed. Sure, 2002 was 12 years ago, but we should be thinking even further into the future.