Greek life may move to Village Apartments

By Camron Rawls
Guest Writer

UNCP is considering establishing Greek housing for fall 2006 in building 100 and 400 of the Village Apartments to help raise the number of students choosing Greek Life.

For about a year and a half the Inter Greek Advisory Board has been debating what they can do to help support the Greek life at UNCP.

Photo by Kelly Freeman Village Apartments can house six members of a Greek organization together.

One idea was to try and put all Greeks together in their own space so they decided to provide them with their own building.

This is the perfect thing for an organization because the Village Apartments offer several amenities including grills that are located outside the buildings,” says Robert P. Swiney, dean of Student Affairs.

Dean Swiney says, “We decided to do this for a couple of reasons; one is that membership isn’t high for Greek life.

The second is the Village Apartments are large enough and they offer a living area large enough for the organization.

If organizations hold meetings in their designated apartment it can free up space in the University Center, says Dean Swiney.

But not all members of organizations feel that way.

“I don’t know if just because we have a meeting in the apartment that we won’t still reserve a room in the UC because sometimes our interest meetings can occupy more space than the apartments can hold,” says Nicole G. Bowles, head of membership recruitment for Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority.

The Village Apartments offer three rooms with two people per room and the plan is to occupy all the rooms with members of a specific Greek organization.

“This process is easy to do because we are getting ready to do the room reclaiming process,” says Dean Swiney.

The room reclaiming dates are March 22-26.

“Keep in mind that organizations at identified apartments have to make sure they keep their apartment full with close friends and organization members,” says Dean Swiney.

The organization members will be responsible for conditions in apartments after parties and other gatherings.

"Apartments will be addressed as a greek-related incident,” says Dean Swiney.

Dealing with different organizations can have their drawbacks for the Resident Advisors and manager because they have to decide how to deal with the Greek building.

"If I make an exception for one building, I gotta make an exception for all,” says James “Jimmy” W. Parker, resident manager of the Village Apartments.

Tanita D. Stewart, resident advisor for building 400, says, “Having Greek life in an entire apartment building could be a good idea and bad idea because Thursday nights could be crazy.” 

Stewart says, “At the same time them being in the same building could be a good thing because campus police can regulate the parties a lot more.”

Parker goes on to say, “If you do get Greek housing and you get to party a lot, is that the environment you want to be in?”