“Chillin on the yard.” “Meet me at the plot.” These are just a few expressions that are used by members of the student body, but after May 18th, these expressions will no longer be of use.President Horace Judson has stated that the campus organizations, both Greek and Non-Greek, are causing separation between students and are distracting students from going to their classes.
Judson feels that since the majority of the plots are located on the yard, it’s the most convenient place for students to hang around, being the most populated place on campus.
The definition of a plot is a reserved place that is designed for a person; in this case, student organizations. Campus plots which mainly consists of benches and the organization’s letters have been placed in designated areas by the organization.
Some organizations have even painted bricks and rocks to give their plot more decoration. Contrary to people’s opinions, an organization’s plot isn’t just a private spot where only members can sit around and mingle. It’s a location that has been given to the organization where they may hang out between classes and also show visiting members a positive side of the organization.
Several members of the student body feel that it is a bad idea to not only remove all of the plots off campus, but to also exclude the Non-Panhellenic council groups in the new location of the Greek Row, which will only include fraternities and sororities in the Divine Nine.
Besides being able to perform in both the fall and spring step shows, is there really a difference between Pan and Non-Pan members? Being a member of a Non-Pan organization, I feel that all of the organizations on this campus do and stand for the same thing: everyone has weekly meetings, does community service, strives for excellence and promotes brotherhood/sisterhood, so why cut the Non-Pan members short of their privileges, because they are so-called “Non-Greek”? Here’s a bit of insight- if you have Greek letters, you are considered to be a Greek organization, plain and simple.
Also, it’s common sense that there are more active Non-Pan members enrolled in school then there are Pan members, and I’ve personally seen the Non-Pan organizations do more service and get involved in the university than the Pan organizations.
Let’s be real- anyone can wear letters, step and throw a few parties here and there, but not everyone can live up to what their organization is based on.
In conclusion, I feel that it is very unjust to not include the Non-Pan organizations in the new location of the Greek Row.
There are a total of nine or eleven organizations that will be affected by this “change” in the upcoming months: The Society of Distinguished Black Women, Alpha Phi Omega, Gamma Sigma Sigma, Tau Beta Sigma, Sigma Alpha Iota, Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Mu Alpha, Swing Phi Swing, Groove Phi Groove, Bayou Boys and the Bayou Girls.
Since all of the plots are to be removed after the last day of the semester, does this mean that the game room and arcade that the students have been promised since fall 2006 will go into effect? Or did the student body just pay another useless “building fee” and not benefit from it?
What’s going to happen in the fall when Homecoming Week rolls around and alumni members return to Grambling and realize they no longer have a plot that was more than likely funded and built by them?
To my friends that are a part of the Divine Nine, if I offended you or your organization, I apologize. This has been a subject that has been on numerous minds, and someone had to talk about it.