Sorority Housing Debated
Professors Suggest Abolishing Division Housing
Lili Martinez
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: News
Which is more unfair: exclusive housing that favors men, or housing that treats men and women equally - but is still exclusive?
This is the debate currently circulating through the Kenyon community: students, faculty and members of the Greek Council and Senate have opinions on whether or not the College, and more specifically Residential Life, should grant permanent "division" housing to Kenyon's four sororities. Kenyon already reserves space on South Campus for fraternity division housing, including housing for its two co-ed Greek organizations, the Archon Society and Peeps o' Kenyon. Sororities are the only Greek organizations that must apply for special interest housing every year.
According to Jessica Marroquin '12 of Theta Delta Phi, "[The policy] is sexist and even if division housing is unequal … it needs to include women." The Theta sorority is one of four that recently drafted a formal proposal requesting permanent sorority division housing by spring 2010. Members of Theta Delta Phi, Epsilon Delta Mu, Zeta Alpha Pi and Nu Iota Alpha co-wrote and co-signed the proposal that demands "the right to permanent division housing."
According to the proposal, "The current housing model is fundamentally discriminatory towards all-female organizations and must be modified in order to attain gender equality on campus." Because every fraternity and co-ed Greek organization on campus has housing security from year-to-year, the sororities' precarious housing situation is unfair, according to the proposal.
Alex Kaplan '11 of Alpha Delta Phi said of the debate: "It's hypocritical to not give [sororities] housing because by denying them housing we're denying them a really legitimate claim to being on campus. In doing so we're denying them real status. So to let fraternities have it and not sororities is really hypocritical." According to a survey sent out by Independent Representative to Campus Senate Gavin McGimpsey '11, most students are in favor of the change. "People were generally in favor of giving sororities housing: they see it as an equality issue," he said. "If we're not going to get rid of division housing entirely, and that's by no means on the table, the issue is, 'Do we want this to be equitable?' and the [students'] answer was, 'Yes.'"
This is the debate currently circulating through the Kenyon community: students, faculty and members of the Greek Council and Senate have opinions on whether or not the College, and more specifically Residential Life, should grant permanent "division" housing to Kenyon's four sororities. Kenyon already reserves space on South Campus for fraternity division housing, including housing for its two co-ed Greek organizations, the Archon Society and Peeps o' Kenyon. Sororities are the only Greek organizations that must apply for special interest housing every year.
According to Jessica Marroquin '12 of Theta Delta Phi, "[The policy] is sexist and even if division housing is unequal … it needs to include women." The Theta sorority is one of four that recently drafted a formal proposal requesting permanent sorority division housing by spring 2010. Members of Theta Delta Phi, Epsilon Delta Mu, Zeta Alpha Pi and Nu Iota Alpha co-wrote and co-signed the proposal that demands "the right to permanent division housing."
According to the proposal, "The current housing model is fundamentally discriminatory towards all-female organizations and must be modified in order to attain gender equality on campus." Because every fraternity and co-ed Greek organization on campus has housing security from year-to-year, the sororities' precarious housing situation is unfair, according to the proposal.
Alex Kaplan '11 of Alpha Delta Phi said of the debate: "It's hypocritical to not give [sororities] housing because by denying them housing we're denying them a really legitimate claim to being on campus. In doing so we're denying them real status. So to let fraternities have it and not sororities is really hypocritical." According to a survey sent out by Independent Representative to Campus Senate Gavin McGimpsey '11, most students are in favor of the change. "People were generally in favor of giving sororities housing: they see it as an equality issue," he said. "If we're not going to get rid of division housing entirely, and that's by no means on the table, the issue is, 'Do we want this to be equitable?' and the [students'] answer was, 'Yes.'"
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 4
Greek Alum
posted 2/05/10 @ 4:11 PM EST
Oh my, here we go again. Folks, let me tell you a secret... division housing isn't any better than other housing! I lived in McBride, Old Kenyon and Leonard, and I can attest, none are glorious or better than the others. (Continued…)
Russian Wives
posted 3/20/10 @ 9:49 AM EST
Cheers for writing about this. FYI - here's some more info about watch bones you might like!
baldai
posted 4/05/10 @ 5:53 AM EST
Good and interesting article, thanks!
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