Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Greek Village draws mixed reviews after 1st year BY ANNA HUNTLEY THE GAMECOCK One year later, the Greek Village, after the planning, prim ing and pruning, is drawing mixed responses from Greek students. Embracing the antebellum era, its plantation-style houses arch around a newly-sod lawn; each house incorporates red brick and Ionic and Doric columns into the architecture. Both the Tri Delta and Alpha Delta Pi houses are based on house plans that served as a model for Tara, the house in “Gone with the Wind.” But this is no movie set. SUVs line the sidewalk, and a Hulk Hogan kite rises to the top of the Sigma Nu house only to drop to the ground. Greek Life Director Gena Runnion said the increase in the number of Greek members this year can be attributed in part to the Greek Village. Non-Greek stu dents now have more housing op tions. Dorms such as McBryde, for merly occupied by Greeks, now house upperclassmen and on-cam pus special interest groups. The Greek Village was the brain child of the USC Board of Trustees, which included it in its 1994 master plan of improving the campus. “It would have been virtually impossible for it to have been a student-driven decision,” Runnion said. Runnion said the village is a perfect example of public-private cooperation. USC owns the land and each house is owned by a na tional Greek alumni housing cor poration. “It’s kind of amazing that we were able to pull this off,” Runnion said. Living in the Greek Village costs about the same, and in some cases less, than other on-campus options. Students in the Greek Village pay an average of $1,800. Sims and Preston College cost $1,819, while Horseshoe apartments and the Quads cost well over $2,000. “This is something we’ve been trying to do since we were fresh men,” fourth-year public rela tions student Marianna Barbrey said. “We’re very, very lucky.” The village’s central location also helps bring Greek organiza tions closer in their respective groups. Some members of USC’s Greek community, however, point out the village’s disadvantages or pro vide reasons to forego living there. Many of the newest members of the sorority pledge class have cho sen to live in South Tower — the traditional residence hall for mem bers of sororities — instead of in the village. “You can’t have boys in your room in the houses. It’s also easier to walk to class; you can go the GMP,” said Hadley Britt, a first year fashion merchandising stu dent and member of Alpha Delta Pi. Britt also said she preferred liv ing with her pledge class; the sorority houses tend to house up perclassmen. Some members of Kappa Alpha Psi, a predominantly black fra ternity, are outspoken in their dis appointment with what they say is the university’s failure to fur ther equality between the facili ties of the black and white Greek systems. Third-year political science student and Kappa Psi member Justin Williams said that by pro viding for the white Greek system in its master plan for campus im provement, the university has ig nored the needs of the black Greek system. “My chapter only has 30 mem bers, so we have no need for a house,” Williams said. “What I would like to see is a building for Greeks who don’t have a house. We have nothing to actually claim.” Williams said a black student visiting the USC campus would see only the predominantly white Greek village. He suggested that the univer sity renovate the Booker T. Washington building so that black Greek organizations have a place of their own to come to gether. “We’re willing to work with the university, Student Life and Greek I life to find solutions," he said. “We’re seeking equality.” However, other black Greek students on campus disagree with Williams’ view, saying that the university provides sufficient equality for black chapters. Kevin Holman, third-year in ternational studies student and member of Alpha Phi Alpha, said the USC campus already offers fa cilities easily accessible jto the black Greek chapters. Holman’s fraternity has its own hall within McBryde. “I don’t see why other black frats can’t get a hall if they really want one,” Holman said. Yet within the Greek Village, there are complaints. The lack of adequate parking was the most commonly cited dis advantage among Greek Village residents. Located directly across from the Colonial Center, the vil lage Ts viewed as easily accessible free parking by attendees of Colonial Center events, which of ten leaves little parking for the vil lage’s residents. Alison Greene, a fourth-year public relations student and mem ber of Alpha Delta Pi, said there is no enforced speed limit, which has caused car accidents. Living within a fraternity house also has its drawbacks. Despite being the site of differ ing opinions, of advantages and disadvantages, the Greek Village continues to remain a haven for its residents. “If s like our own house rather than a university facility, a place where we can hang out freely, mingle freely,” said fourth-year Spanish student Amanda Marshall, a member of Chi Omega. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu -1---1 Greiner CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Residential College, the First-Year Reading Experience, the Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs and the Office of Pre professional Advising. “What this institution needed to do was to change the undergradu ate culture so that the undergrad uate educational experience here was really a culture of expectation, not of just hope,” Greiner said. “It was all for students’ benefit, and the result is the quality of the un dergraduate student body has got ten so much better.” Greiner’s time as a professor earned him the AMOCO Award, USC’s highest honor for under graduate teaching, and the Carolina Distinguished Professor of English endowed professorship. “The students just love him,” USC President Andrew Sorensen said. “I’ve met all kinds of students who have taken his courses, and they tell me he’s a great teacher.” Sara Saylor, a first-year English student who has taken two of Greiner’s courses, said because of Greiner’s impressive literary knowledge she plans to take as many of his courses as possible. “I appreciate having someone who is experienced yet not at all arrogant,” Saylor said. “He ac cepts others’ opinions.” Third-year English student Anna Stewart, has taken two courses and one independent study directed by Greiner. “He loves what he does, and it’s contagious,” Stewart said. According to Greiner, the rela tionship between a professor and students is also an important part of teaching. “I want students to know that I’m available for all kinds of dis cussions.” USC is honoring Greiner’s ser vice with the Donald J. Greiner Scholarship, which will be awarded to an incoming out-of-state student. “Don said — and this is typical of Don Greiner — rather than a ceremony or party, which we usu ally have for retiring faculty, that he wants that energy put toward creating a scholarship instead,” said Steve Lynn, chairman of the English department and chairman of the scholarship committee. Although Greiner said he is concerned about he and Provost Jerry Odom leaving at the same time, he believes USC won’t suffer. “Greiner has two rules,” he said. “One is that no one is indis pensable, and the second rule is the institution always survives.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu FOR THE COMMON JOB. TUESDAY 4-7 P.M. 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