Saturday's ground breaking on the new Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity is a big step forward for Ball State University's greek community. It's not just any house either; it'll cost $3 million and have an actual classroom so it's a learning environment in addition to a residence. That's a far cry from the decrepit, falling-apart fraternity houses Ball State ripped down last year.
Condensing all the fraternity houses into a handful of blocks on Riverside Avenue will put the members closer so they can, hopefully, work together more often. Increased interaction between fraternities -¡-¡- and sororities, although they don't have houses - will help the greek community become stronger and have a real presence at Ball State.
The classroom for the general Ball State community to use also will help connect the greeks with non-greek students who can use it for small-group classes. Instead of the fraternity house being viewed as a place to visit only when partying, the Sigma Phi Epsilon members can create a more academic environment in which all students will be welcome. By simply adding a classroom to the blueprints, the fraternity is helping to further bridge the gap between greeks and non-greeks.
If the completed building looks as wonderful as the designs sound, this building will be an improvement to Riverside Avenue, which is one of the goals included in the Greek Strategic Plan. It's a step in the right direction, and sets an example of the type of building Ball State fraternities should strive to build or own. Constructing this house also shows that the greek students are taking their strategic plan seriously and are meeting the goals laid out within it.
Ball State's greek community has the potential to grow and flourish, or at least the alumni donating the bulk of the $3 million must believe that. They wouldn't drop that type of money into a project unless it was worth it. This is a positive sign of change within the greek community, and we hope to see more like it.
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