University Of Iowa Greeks Facing Catastrophic City Housing Ordinance
NF, Iowa. Just NF.
The Iowa City ordinance, in particular, is tackling the issue of housing density, stating that only one person per 900 square feet will be allowed to live in an apartment. Only, language in the ordinance will technically classify fraternity and sorority houses as apartments, making them fall under the regulation. This obviously has the Iowa Greek community all astir due to the threat it poses to the sanctity and tradition of fraternity and sorority housing.
From the Iowa City Patch:
“It is going to be the end of the Greek system at University of Iowa,” said Steve Lawler, a supporter of Sigma Pi. “We are a brotherhood of people living together … The guys live together like family.”
[…]
The rule would treat a fraternity or sorority house like an apartment and limit how many people can live together – one resident per 900 square feet. At least four Greek chapters are interested in building new houses, but if this ordinance passes they’d likely have to scale down.
City officials are targeting fraternity houses because of their reputations as partyers. They are trying to rein them in, if you will. Here’s my question, though: will this really scale back parties at the houses? Just because there are only four people living there as opposed to 40, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not open for business anymore. It’s still a fraternity house, and fraternity houses are constructed to house drunk idiots, no matter if they crash inside them or not.
This just seems like a good way to cut the legs off your Greek community, Iowa. Not a smart move. I get the feeling cooler heads will prevail, though, and the raging will continue.
[via Iowa City Patch]
Can’t they just have “one resident per 900 square feet” much like how everyone has a “strict no hazing policy”
12 years ago at 4:52 pmPass the hat, technically only four members pay to live while 36 six of their friends just crash at their place for a whole semester. I mean if I can have one brother live at my house for a whole semester just cause, then I don’t see the problem with more.
12 years ago at 12:43 amCheeky bastards
12 years ago at 1:05 pmThe administration here has harbored an unnatural hatred towards Greek Life for the better part of this decade. At one point Greek Life was thriving at Iowa and when a Lambda Chi died in 1994 the University cracked down pretty hard. Every house was made dry, and if any chapter put so much as one toe out of line you are smashed with ridiculous sanctions as a chapter. To make things worse, instead of uniting and combating the administrations over zealous policy towards punishing Greek Life many fraternity chapters stab each other in the back. I’m not suggesting all fraternities are going to get along, but to blatantly rat someone out to the administration for your chapters gain is absolutely despicable. Anyway I’m done, I’m off the soap box, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Greek Life was all but gone within the next ten years.
12 years ago at 4:54 pmKeep strong Brother. A city ordinance like that is bullshit. Universities only hurt themselves by hurting Greek Life.
12 years ago at 4:59 pmA) No way in hell Greeks disappear completely
12 years ago at 5:38 pmB) Sounds like somebody’s chapter got shit on by a different house
C) This is probably the first time I’ve sympathized and agreed with a Phi Delt
“Many chapters stab each other in the back.” Oh, you mean Phi Psi??
12 years ago at 5:46 pmAmen. Hate other houses as much as you want but don’t narc.
12 years ago at 6:26 pmFuck Phi Psi, they lose at football
12 years ago at 8:34 pmSnitches get stitches. But seriously, never rat on another fraternity cause odds are they have dirt on you too.
12 years ago at 1:34 amYeah Iowa just sucks, kill yourself. Such a garbage school compared to the rest of the big 10.
12 years ago at 5:15 pmUniversity is federally regulated which trumps any state or county regulations. If the university wants a Greek system they have the power to tell the State of Iowa to go fuck themselves. The city where I am from says that more than 6 girls can’t live together because its considered a brothel. University doesn’t have to abide by the rule though.
12 years ago at 4:58 pmLawyered?
12 years ago at 5:06 pmI love brothels
12 years ago at 6:35 pm^
12 years ago at 7:54 pmYou’re a fucking moron. If the U of I is state funded (which of course it is) then it has to follow state laws. Unless of course a federal law is passed that counteracts it.
12 years ago at 12:18 amAlso, I’m not completely familiar with UoI’s campus layout but some campuses have their Greek housing technically “off campus” meaning that its not on the University property, which means it has to follow the ordinance.
12 years ago at 12:45 amDo you go to pitt?
12 years ago at 5:46 pmThanks, Obama!
12 years ago at 4:59 pmThat would affect far more people than Greeks. Theta no way this actually goes into effect. I live in a three story townhouse with three roommates and we wouldn’t be allowed to live together in that city under those circumstances. No way it goes anywhere.
12 years ago at 5:07 pmThere’s*
12 years ago at 5:08 pmNice Theta auto-correct, frat on
12 years ago at 2:09 pmHow about 900 square foot rooms? Bam, problem solved.
12 years ago at 5:55 pmThat would put probably all of the dorms in violation of the code, but it most likely would exclude dorms making it very convenient for the officials involved.
12 years ago at 6:38 pmUhhhh Dorms?
12 years ago at 7:01 pmThe average one bedroom apartment is probably what, 700 SF?
12 years ago at 7:26 pmThere’s no that this is correct…one person per 900 square feet would mean a single apartment would have to be 30′ by 30’…. that’s ridiculous. And a four person apartment would be 60′ by 60′.
12 years ago at 8:03 pm