Homeless Greeks

Black Greeks at IU are homeless.\nOkay, not all of them are homeless - just the ones in historically-black fraternities and sororities, such as National Panhellenic Council members Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta, Iota Phi Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Sigma Gamma Rho, Phi Beta Sigma and Omega Psi Phi.\nAnd since you want to get all technical by saying homeless -- I mean the active chapters don't have a spot along frat row, or any other street for that matter.\nOops, I forgot about the Kappa Alpha Psi house. But let's keep it real, the house hasn't seen a party since 1995, IU graduate student and Kappa Alpha Psi member Eugene Anderson said. In fact, only recently, the organization's headquarters (not the chapter) regained control of the building's lease.\nThe Student Activities Office reports 22 of 29 fraternities and 19 of 24 sororities own houses. Between non-historically-black Greeks and most other historically-minority Greek organizations on campus, the difference comes down to numbers, as emphasized by IU's National Panhellenic Council President, Alpha Phi Alpha member and senior, Brandon Williams.\nHistorically-black Greek organizations welcome members of all ethnicities, but blacks make up the groups' majorities. And since blacks comprise only 3.8 percent of enrollment at IU, black Greek organizations are unsurprisingly small.\nSo even if the Kappa's Alpha chapter had enough people to fill the 31-bedroom house, somebody would have to cover the million-dollar renovations and regular upkeep. Until Greek alumni show some grand generosity, Kappas, like the other organizations, are forced to host meetings, sponsor fundraisers and throw parties on somebody else's territory. A functional, centralized location doesn't exist.\nIU sophomore Tarah Sanders noticed the void as she drove down Jordan Avenue for the first time. It's also something she dealt with during an old-school skate party at an off-campus venue later that year. \n"The guy who worked at the rink had on a Confederate flag belt," Sanders said. "I know it's a symbolic item, and it has more than one meaning. But it's those little things that make me wish the black Greeks had a place to call their own and didn't have to rent from people like him."\nAnd it's the little things that count.\nI think it'd be nice to leave a party later than 2 a.m. once in a while. Or even better, I'd love to leave the Alumni Hall lobby without being coaxed out by some hefty security guard. (And for the record -- I understand contractual agreement between the Greek organization and the hall makes punctual departure necessary.) \nOn the other hand, I agree with IU senior Keeyon Tate, who said the absence of houses has its pros.\n"For one, it brings us closer in hating 'the man'," Tate said with a laugh. \nHe hypothesizes if Greeks had their own houses, the number of negative incidents might increase, causing even greater scrutiny of black students.\nWith or without a house, however, black Greeks are going to do what black folks have been doing for centuries -- adapting and keeping it moving. They'll just keep on doing what they're doing -- generating money for charities, hosting dope open mics, in addition to informing and representing a segment of students who might otherwise be ignored.\nWilliams and leaders from other black organizations are even tossing around the idea of creating a house where African-American student organizations can handle business and have fun. And maybe, just maybe -- before I graduate, I'll have a reason to hit up Denny's later than 2:30 a.m.\nFor now, I'll keep hope alive.