Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Off-campus fraternity move studied By MARY HENRY Gamecock Staff Writer Reports on the feasibility of off campus fraternity and sorority housing are being prepared for presentation to the Board of Trustees at their December meeting, according to Michael N. Compton. advisor to USC's fraternities and sororities. "Basically, the report will reexamine all proposals and research of the committees to see if they are still valid and realistic," Compton said. The original proposal, brought before the Board in 1973, was that if a chapter could raise 25 per cent of the total building costs initially, the University would finance the balance. The investment by the chapters would be in the neigh borhood of $50.000. Through rentals, the chapters would pay back the University. TRADITIONALLY, the lot between Bates West parking lot and the Roost has been the fra ternity housing plot. "1Many sororities, who have upwards of 90 members, are meeting in lounges that are 540 square feet. I am very much in favor of the proposal (of off campus housing), Compton said. One fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha (PKA), has financed its move off campus without University aid. The residence, located at 804 Whaley St., has 15 rooms, including six bedrooms. Louis Nettles, PKS president, is optimistic about the possibilities of off campus-living. "We are learning how a fraternity house should be run," he said. "This house has a big basement and attic that we use for a chapter room, in addition to all the living space. We're learning the responsibility of owning a house, and the financial responsibilities. We feel it has a lot of potential." THE MAJOR problem the fraternity had before moving into the house was to get special per mission from the Zoning Board of Acception of the city of Columbia. Special permission is needed for sorority and fraternity housing in a residential district. The PKA's were given a one-year trial period beginning July 8, "to prove we were responsible," Nettles said. "We feel we can get along with the neighbors. The fact that we intend to improve the appearance of the house alone was in our favor," Nettles said. He said the move to off-campus housing was almost essential. "It was just a matter of getting up and moving. There just wasn't any room in McBryde Quadrangle. We had our backs to the wall. It took us a year to find a suitable house." The fraternity has been in the house for two months. "Electricity is running us $130 a month and water is about $20. Eventually we think we will be competitive with dorm space. Possibly it will be cheaper to live here than on campus," Nettles said. Compton said that many organizations have not really voiced any opinions as to moving off campus because of not knowing how the Board will react to the housing policy. "Nothing of substance will be known until the first week in December. WASHED DENIM WASHED DENIM ELASTIC WAIST GOLD STITCHING BY BRITTANIA WAIST BUCKLES 'LAPPOCK ET BY IRITTANIA - WASHED FRENCH WAISTBAND )ENIM - CORDUROY By coTLER - GREY ILUE, BEIGE, RUST & RUST, BLUE, BLACK 'AN MINT & BURGUNDY PULLV E SWEAT RSW AS EDDEN BLACK, BLE, MINT M TCOS YLAONGE N BYB AE L ENMCORDUROY B OT- -GE LUE L BEIEAS AVAUST,BLUE, BLACK 121AANNT MIN x toBRGND STYLED POCKETS BY NATIONWIDE SLACKS 4-* I JEANS TIGHT EUROPEAN FIT BY BRITTANIA ONLY $16.95 LEATH ER ACKET JACKETS BEGINNING AT 99.95 )RY AIST SIZES 26-36 Darolina Theatre)