Since I have been a student at Alabama, I have become accustomed to change and growth. Construction on campus has been constant, the student body has expanded dramatically and our football team has built a dynasty. While many of these changes are positive and represent progress for the campus, there are others whose merits I question.

In particular, I am confused about the benefits of allowing greek houses to expand in size. In my three years on campus alone, I have witnessed the expectation for new house sizes dramatically increase. For a visual aide, drive down University Boulevard and watch the houses grow as you get closer to the Rec.

With space on campus at a premium and the greek community struggling to keep pace with its size as a proportion of total students, approving large spaces for students to build palaces of dubious benefit to campus doesn’t exactly make sense.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe greek houses are perfect models for building community. They set the standard for allowing housing to truly augment one’s educational experience. In a campus that has set its sights on luxury at the expense of community, its value cannot be understated.

Still, there is a limit to that utility and it was reached long before the size standard for new houses rivaled that of most academic buildings on campus. The community benefits, as well as the many other benefits of greek life, can be achieved with much less square footage.

This new trend has already strained housing’s ability to accommodate students who want to live on campus. In order to build new houses of record setting size, residence halls have been torn down. In turn, the University has been forced to turn away upperclassmen who wish to live on campus.

This presents huge problems for students who are out of state or lack a vehicle. It also highly inconveniences those who truly believe in the residential living experience and want to live close to their classes. A balance between construction and accommodating student body growth must be found. When weighed on balance, is demolishing hundreds of bed spaces to make room for a much smaller number truly worth it at this time?

The implications of these houses on the University’s image should also be considered. I feel the need to clarify that I believe that a strong greek system is positive for the University’s image. That includes support for vibrant rows of greek houses.

However, the image benefits are reversed when fraternity houses transform into UA-sponsored student palaces. University Boulevard, the main entryway to campus and a major location for these new houses, unfortunately highlights these misplaced priorities to all visiting recruits, alumni and other guests.

College is about personal responsibility and growth. It is a transitional period when students begin learning to live on their own. The University’s approval of and support for the new standard of massive houses is antithetical to this ideal. Instead of teaching moderation and responsibility, it seems that the University is bent on playing into the game of petty, yet extremely expensive, overcompensation between houses.

Greek organizations: you have plenty of reasons to take pride beyond the size of your house. It is the traditions and character inside of each of your members that gives your organization value. It’s not the size of your house that counts, its how you use it that really makes the difference.