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07/07/2011 10:42:00 PM
I'm an architecture student at ASU. Let them go. Let them all go. FLW didnt design that, Greek life at ASU is ridiculous at best and is populated by the worst society has to offer, honestly,,,, truly,,,,, dickheads and stupid little bitches parented by the numbnuts of America that thought it prudent to drop cash, not on a better education, but a dead ritual in a vain attempt to convince their children they are better than some imaginary majority. fukem I say
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Kylmatson 02/24/2011 7:47:00 AM
You know to an extent your right but is it that different any where else. Think about it what do you think they do in Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, and even U of A, trust me they do the exact same thing the only difference is they have Test banks, trust funds, and alumni. Think about it where do you think these stigmas and behaviors of ASU greek life came from? other bigger crazier fraternities from other states, just look up Rho week or Round up you will see the craziest fraternity stuff imaginable and they are the same fraternities that pump out kids with 4.0s and CEO jobs. What do you think greek life is community service? Are you retarted or something its about joining a brotherhood of people who are just like you partying with them getting the answers to all your school work from them and then getting hooked up with a great job through alumni connections. And seriously why is everybody riding greek life for having a good time if you dont think those affluently wealthy motherfuckers out there in the world don't party and have copious amounts of intoxicated sex then your are out of your mind or perhaps trapped in the normative box that is your mind, read between the lines "bro" and you will see the world for what it actually is and not how it should be.
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George 01/12/2011 7:47:00 PM
Your a Fucken jackass greek row is run down because of the ASU administrations war on greek life. Not because the Fraternities cant maintain them.
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Sarah 09/04/2009 6:52:00 PM
It is apparent that ASU has no respect for architecture, especially when they are merging several programs, there architecture program is a joke as well. So if there is no respect within the community of the campus, how can we expect them to actually respect the environment. They have created a School of Sustainability, what does that mean? I question this with the most sarcastic tone ever, how can you create or teach a school of sustainability on a campus so anti-sustainability. ASU's architecture program is not even accredited, I know in our school, which is accredited, it is important to restore and keep historic buildings that have been foundations for community and architecture teachings. The idea of restoration is fundamental to the idea of sustainability... ASU should not get recognized for their architecture, sustainability or any methods of design since they have no contextual or cultural respect for the topics...
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Mike 08/17/2009 9:57:00 AM
I've delivered food to ASU's frats before and being inside reminded me of Project Mayhem in Fight Club. That area is beat and I'd rather have something useful than nostalgic. Outdated buildings housing an outdated social order won't leave behind many tears when they're both gone and one long-winded article won't convince me otherwise.
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Roberta Mann 08/09/2009 1:55:00 AM
I graduated from ASU in 1980 (for the first time, which is the only one pertinent for this discussion). I was in a sorority (Alpha Delta Pi) and dated a man who was in Phi Delta Theta. I spent quite a bit of time at the Phi Delt house, as well as at the Sigma Nu house where I was a "little sister." Many, many years later, I joined a preservation organization in Delaware, ultimately becoming the president of the Board of Trustees of Preservation Delaware. Historic structures are also threatened and torn down in the First State (Delaware), but at least there is an organization dedicated to preserving them. I am shocked that a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired building like the Phi Delta Theta house is slated for the wrecking ball in the name of "green building." The University of Oregon, where I now work, recently renovated two historic buildings in Portland to LEED Gold standard. The buildings are beautiful (even spectacular) and wonderfully functional. It is absolutely possible to preserve historic structures and reduce energy usage and save water. It just requires commitment and vision. Too bad that ASU's administration doesn't see it that way.
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Jake 08/03/2009 7:22:00 PM
May I add that, "the history" some are devastated to lose, has already been defiled by those inhabiting the houses.
It saddens me that level and number of people that have shown emotional attachment to the lifestyle these buildings represent then those who show any concern for any real issue covered in the new times.
Let the buildings got and focus on fighting for real causes...or at least get a finish school with out a hangover every class. Greek life has fallen apart and is holding many of the people involved back from doing anything real, Ive seen how their little grade school rivalry and bullying, just got to the "dirty dot com" they're brutal with each other. and if dont like internet sources, heres a undisputable valid one, greek row on a thursday night...and friday night... and saturay, monday and sometimes tuesday night. oh and class the day after.
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Jake 08/03/2009 7:12:00 PM
As an ex-architect student, I think ASU has a lot of work to do. The capus reminds me of the saying "art for the sake of art is pointless".The campus' architecture is nothing compared to most other colleges, it lacks a unifying theme to say the least.
and Crow has been making a genuine effort to sell out and run things like a business, still Im really disappointed in NEW TIMES for their "nice try" at swing this as unbiased story. I dont recall any other cases in which Tempe/ASU has sold out its little bit of culture, and there have been plenty, and then it make front page with a Trademark new times cover.
As for the architecture of the frat houses... I have one quote "Just because its old doesnt mean its a classic"... The frat houses have fallen to crap and you can try to put some blame on the university but the bulk of it lies on the FRATS themeselves. Ive been in side these places which most of the time look like Cancun summer houses, not in a good way but in a beer bongs,bong bongs, bottles cans and pizza boxes every where kinda way. Nothings against frats, there are some people who try to do positive through the greek system.
But last year I knew of one person and frat who shall remain anonymous, who used their parents credit card to go down to mexico and smuggle narcotics over in an attempt to start a "business" through the frat... dont believe me look through "tempes finest"'s records.
So these house represent culture all right the same sort of culture you'd see in the rap videos, the ones these spoiled party animals try to emulate in a fake satirical way.
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08/02/2009 3:29:00 AM
I am so sick of the crap that is called 'sustainable,' 'green,' etc. etc. etc. when it comes to razing significant historic buildings in favor of the 'new technology.'
All this new 'green' technology will be as obsolete as a PC six months after you purchase it.
Technology wears out; history doesn't.
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DLG 08/02/2009 2:35:00 AM
Whoever wrote that the fraternity houses are basically "rape establishments" knows obviously knows nothing and just isnt quite intelligent enough to actually seek out their own opinions instead obviously just agrees with all stereotypes. Yes, I agree that a lot of rapes do happen in college. Being a college - aged female, the stats are astounding and frightening, but I am educated enough to know that a Fraternity house is not the most likely place to be raped. You are actually more likely to be raped at ASU walking back from the fraternities, or the library as a matter of fact, then actually at the fraternity.
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08/01/2009 11:21:00 PM
I also wanted to say that I would be more then glad to use my social media clout to get this before the eyes of as many people as I can. My contacts and I will be pushing this story on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
If anyone would be interested I would love to host your Alpha Drive story on our Phoenix GFC blog here:
http://phoenixgfc.blogspot.com/
Or possibly The New Times will follow up on this and do the same.
My assistant and I are going to take the video camera down to Alpha Drive next week and shoot as much as time allows and try to document as much of what I know about the history and I suggest you do the same.
Chris Lang
http://www.google.com/profiles/chrislang
480 381 0597
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William T Terrance 08/01/2009 10:16:00 PM
I read this article about the tearing down of the ASU frat houses very carefully. After all, you never know when New Times is practicing ironic journalism (see Michael Jackson�s Sedona �Murderess� Revealed). However, after reading this carefully, I do not detect the irony.
In that case, I am appalled. You are kidding calling these glorified row houses architecturally significant! You are aren�t you? I do not care whose name is on a piece of crap, it is still a piece of crap Robrt. Actually a house that looked like feces would be far more interesting than these buildings that �stand as a unique example of [the architects] own style and imagination.� In this case, I think it is more that the architects didn�t really care at all.
Robrt, you have done some good journalism. Are you going to seriously claim that there is only one purported rape at the frat houses? With those, �umpteen keggers and thousands of pizza deliveries� you don�t think there were any other statistics. One out of eight women going to college is raped every year. Last year that means 4346 women were raped in 2008 (potentially). Alcohol and drugs increase the possibility of rape and, as you return to often in your article, the frat houses have the least oversight of drinking and assumedly drugs as well. Even if only a tenth of the rapes happen at the frat houses that is an average of 412 a year; some of them probably in those, �cool little secret [rape] rooms.�
So if you really want to leave these monuments to rape and debauchery in place I cannot support you in that. This recent spate of �mid-century� architectural nostalgia is completely misplaced. I have lived in a number of houses here in Tempe that built during that era. Each needs to be knocked down for some reason; luckily Tim Wright can buy them and keep renting them with minor repairs. Nonetheless, these houses are not architectural masterpieces that need preservation. The time that they hearken back to was a time when temporary structures became vogue. Let them be temporary.
Crow has the audacity to want to tear these buildings down and put up greener more sustainable buildings? That ogre! I am no fan of gentrification. However, what Crow has done on the ASU campus is excellent. As a Tempe resident it is nice to not ride my bike through beaten down slums that ring ASU�s campus. It is nice to ride through the new complexes. Your nostalgia is misplaced.
I wonder Robrt, is this is simply the cry of a fraternity member who has let his personal predilections get in the way of his journalistic integrity. Perhaps this is another piece of �Ironic� journalism. It�s hard to tell if I even care any more. Oh yeah, lest I forget, isn�t entirely possible that the mysterious �private owner� of one of the properties is a woman? You claimed to not know and then referred to the person as a male or is that just your misogyny, after all�you want to leave the rape dens standing.
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08/01/2009 9:47:00 PM
Let's set the record straight here everybody from somebody that was there when this all started.
Lattie Coor set out to destroy the Greek system at ASU in 1990. He did. The ASU frats were a top 10 Greek system in the nation back then and hosted the #1 rated fraternity party in the US. Some of you may have heard of Paddy Murphy?
Second this was a thriving community and a great place to have the time of your life while going to college. I did.
Third, THANK YOU for bringing this to our attention New Times! There is the Frank Lloyd Wright preservation society that is alive and well, and I believe the Phi Delt national chapter owns that house. There is no reason to let it get bulldozed.
But in the end, ASU has been after that property since 1990. They destroyed what was a great place to go to school and have fun before you had to grow up. Nice legacy to be know for ASU and Lattie Coor.
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fratrow 08/01/2009 7:26:00 AM
the houses are constantly being fixed and are always very nice during the school year, it doesn't help that asu won't even assist in maintaining the parking lots and are strictly focused on tearing down the houses come hell or high water
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Sum_Ergo_Edo 07/31/2009 9:36:00 PM
I think it's fair to say that in any situation where there is a good choice and a bad choice, ASU's administration will inevitably go for the latter, and then make it worse. It happened with their academic programs and it's certainly happening with respect to the campus architecture. Once upon a time, the ASU campus was a beautiful place where you could get a good education. It isn't beautiful (or educational) now, and we have Crow and his cronies to thank. As an alumnus and parent of an alumnus, I'm appalled at what the current administration has done to a once-proud institution.
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Andrew L. Ayers 07/31/2009 9:25:00 PM
Which is more sustainable, which is more green, which uses less energy, Mr. Crow: Renovating, reusing, and recycling existing buildings, or tearing them down and then building new? The ideas and ideals you're pushing have the same air of ignorance about them that our government's "Cash for Clunkers" program has; that "old" means "inefficient", and that "new" (plus debt) means "green". What kind of Orwellian doublethink is this?
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Tom 07/31/2009 4:18:00 PM
The buildings are falling apart. Go look. They were frat houses .The frats did not take care of them. It is their fault. Frats are,and always were, organizations for the scions of fat old Republicans. Most frat boys are children of money. They are socially inept and therefore must pay to have friends in college. I cannot feel sorry for them. Also, isn't it quite a jump to believe that just because some architect worked with Frank Lloyd Wright that he must also have been a genius? Genius dose not rub off onto other people .Genius stands alone. Little good ever came from "Fraternity Row". If those crumbling old building are some architects best work,well, we have far to go. They all look like roadside motels.
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Tom Hamlyn 07/31/2009 3:52:00 AM
My father was a structural engineer with his own firm (Hamlyn, Mann & Anderson) in Phoenix who I remember worked for Kemper Goodwin, John Tang, and to a lesser extent Frank Lloyd Wright from time to time. They were all talented architects, but Wright lived on his reputation from earlier work.
In any event, what you are describing is not unique to ASU - it is a nationwide problem and has been occuring for years. Namely, once something is labeled as "old" then it becomes unfit and in need of replacement. Nobody seems to value real architecture when compared to glass and steel edifices that are environmentally friendly. Thus, we destroy art and replace it with crap. What else can I say?
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DLG 07/31/2009 3:50:00 AM
It is embarrassing that a University system could be so ignorant and closed minded. A university is supposed to be an institution of higher education, but it is blatantly obvious that the ASU board members concerning this issue have not educated themselves on the whole picture. Presidents Crows intolerance and chauvinism towards the greek system has done nothing but segregate and harm the state of the university students. Despite the universities Gestapo like approaches to diminish the diversity and enriching opportunities that greek life has to offer, Fraternities and Sororities press on at ASU. However, if the University and the Greek system would attain mutual respect for each other gains would be remarkable on both sides. It is truly heartbreaking that two things so cherished on most campuses, such as fraternal organizations and historical landmarks, could be disregarded so carelessly.
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Lance Renfrow 07/31/2009 3:28:00 AM
I was the very first person to live on Alpha Drive. It was Aug, 1962. This was the Sig EP house at 615 Alpha Drive. The house wa dfesigned by another Sig Ep named John Schully.
Alpha drive was wat was printed and a dream to 10 fraturnities. Our house was one of the few where we exercised the optopn to buy after 40 years. There is much more history if you want to know.
Lance Renfrow
ASU graduate in Chemical Engineering
1966
480-678-4766-cell
lrenf35693@aol.com
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Al Michaels 07/30/2009 9:49:00 PM
It is a shame to see what Michael Crow is doing to the fraternities. Greek Life brings tradition, honor, and true bonds that nothing else in life can bring. Fraternities have been the greatest experience of my life and I feel it is an outcry by Michael Crow to try and shut them down and rebuild. ASU old architecture is still a prominent figure and keeps it unique and a main attraction. ASU should allow fraternities to feel confident that they will be able to stay there for the long-run and then money can be reinvested to fund the renovations of these treasured projects and landmarks.
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Steve 07/30/2009 3:23:00 PM
It has become increasing clear that the path that ASU has undertaken is to obliterate its once park like campus and make it one large parking lot full of corporate inspired buildings with no charm or other aesthetic qualities. This is a travesty wherein historic buildings on campus are targeted for destruction. As an Alumnus I have found the changes at ASU to be entirely without soul or inspiration. Creating a mega campus without style and grace is the goal.
