Greeks are banding together to fight for a cause close to home.
Kappa Delta Rho, Delta Chi and Alpha Sigma Alpha members are joining together to sponsor an event dubbed “Save the South.”
The event is to raise awareness about the South Lodges conditions, participating member Brandon Dargay said.
Buckhorn Lodge and Sunset Lodge are distinctly more worn than their northern counterparts, such as Larkspur Lodge and Briar Lodge, Dargay said.
“The lodges have never been renovated,” Dargay said. “I believe my organization moved into (a southern lodge) as soon as it was built … 32 years ago.”
Aside from the southern lodges being worn, they’re also not cheap.
South Lodges residents, according to Dargay, pay the same amount as North Lodges residents for buildings in worse condition.
Another concern, participating member Hannah Coughlin said, is administrators may choose to destroy the South Lodges altogether.
“There has been a lot of talk about campus wanting to tear down the South Lodges and build a different building in its place,” she said. “We have a lot of history within our houses that would be devastating to lose.”
Their ultimate goal, Coughlin said, is for the South Lodges to be renovated.
In the meantime, Dargay said, the campaign’s purpose is to raise awareness.
Participants are to sell shirts and advertise their cause, Dargay said.
Proceeds are to go to the student government’s allocations fund for all student oranizations, Dargay said.
“We believe that getting our message out and helping all organizations by donating to the fund is the best way to go about doing this,” he said.
Participants plan to begin the event within the next month, and to continue until the end of the semester, Dargay said.
“Possibly (we’ll) restart again next school year also, until the message has been sent,” he said.
University president Jem Spectar said after academic building renovations are completed, the next project he plans to adopt is renovating housing, most notably the College Park Apartments and the South Lodges.
“We just believe we’re being cheated,” Dargay said, “and we’re trying to show that we care enough to do something about it that is beneficial to everybody.”
