HA: Story on Pinehaven situation - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Mar 18, 2005

RE: HA: Story on Pinehaven situation

Date: Mar 18, 2005

Thank you PNP..This is not "once a peasant always a peasant" society some would wish. Perhaps Police man wannabe should see how how his course load stacks up against those he looks down on. or socio-ecnomic background, or income or desire. I have been surpassed in income by latter graduates, but made the decison...no big cities and no relocation that was my choice!! "do not judge lest you be judged"

Date: Mar 18, 2005

The issue is whether or not USM should have some kind of family housing
for low income students with children. Most major universities do.

Given that USM has lots of low income students and a small number of
sorority members, one could argue that family housing better fits USM's
mission than subsidized sorority housing. Given that national sororities
have programs to fund new houses, that need can be met without
university funds.

The policy issue should be settled prior to the call for the bulldozer.

Date: Mar 18, 2005

agreed!!!

Date: Mar 18, 2005

Could it be that somebody's perception of minorities, foreign students, and the financially disadvantaged could be a factor in the decision to eliminate family housing on campus? Does USM not want those among its student body? I predict that the university will regret the day it reduces low-income housing opportuties for those groups.

Date: Mar 18, 2005

I think it's more about money than anything else. Although it will be interesting to see which sororities get houses. Someone told me recently that we have 12 sororities and only nine houses are planned. What does that mean?
In any case, as was stated on another post, everything that's done these days is done about money. It strikes me as a another (yet another) instance of something that could have been handled with some regard to the human feelings and needs, and still achieve the same outcome.

Date: Mar 18, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: LVN
"I think it's more about money than anything else."

But there is a relationship between money and the financially disadvantaged.

Further, luxurious Sorority houses do present an "image." Drive around the lakes around LSU, for example. My interpretation of all of this is that image is more imporant to USM than are the types of students it attracts (and is likely to attract in the future).

Date: Mar 18, 2005

You make an interesting point about image (in my former business, it was "Presentation is everything") -- however, it would be instructive to add up the revenue from rent, factor in the cost of the operating the units, and then add up the income from leasing the property to the sororities and factor OUT the cost of operations and then just look at those four sets of numbers. I suspect the result would be very interesting indeed.

I just meant that it could be possible that this is a necessary move, but once again has been handled with a sledgehammer. Usually it's faculty and staff who are treated like furniture -- this time it's students.

Date: Mar 18, 2005

USM seems to be about as interested real estate business as it is in the education. First, there was that defunct grocery store building down HWY 49 initially intended for Nursing. Second, there was that decripid defunct antique mall (formerly a high school) intended for goodness knows what. Both pipe dreams. And now there is the proposed Sorority row.

Date: Mar 19, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Image is everything
"USM seems to be about as interested real estate business as it is in the education. First, there was that defunct grocery store building down HWY 49 initially intended for Nursing. Second, there was that decripid defunct antique mall (formerly a high school) intended for goodness knows what. Both pipe dreams. And now there is the proposed Sorority row. "

Image,

I think you have pretty much summed it up. It seems to be much more about image than substance. Banners, but not books, airplanes but not labs, classrooms, and offices, pilots but not faculty and staff, but now this disgraceful handling of married student housing is terribly sad.

Amy Young