Students blast U. for moving slowly on GreekNet wiring

Wiring Greek houses into Penn's ResNet system has taken far longer than expected. Two years into a program designed to wire fraternity and sorority houses to the University's ResNet system, many Greek leaders say the project is hopelessly behind schedule. Penn officials concede that the GreekNet program --Edesigned to connect fraternities and sororities to the University's ResNet system, which provides high-speed computer hookups, phone lines and cable TV -- is proceeding far more slowly than had been anticipated. Installing ResNet into private rooms in the Greek houses is "moving slower than we would like and it's significantly more expensive than we would like," said Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski. "The biggest problem with this project from the beginning is marrying several resources and parts of the University." Reikofski explained that installation has to be done at times that are not too disruptive for students or for the houses on Locust Walk. The work also has to be coordinated with other construction on campus, he said. But the explanation does little to placate angry Greek leaders, who have been waiting for what they see as needed technical upgrades since Penn announced the GreekNet initiative in 1996. "I still don't understand what has taken so long, nor do I understand why it is so expensive and complicated." said College senior Michael Kraver, president of Sigma Alpha Mu. "In all honesty, I remain pessimistic that it will even be completed for my house this summer, when it is currently scheduled to be done." Kraver, who is also the treasurer of the InterFraternity Council, added that he believes the plan to be "a waste of money." GreekNet is divided into three phases: The first is to bring two common room connections into all University-owned fraternity and sorority houses. The second is to bring connections into individual bedrooms of the University-owned houses. The third phase will connect GreekNet to the privately owned fraternity houses. The first phase was completed in the spring of 1998, but the second and third are still underway, with many Greeks saying the process is moving far too slowly. University officials say the delays were caused by outside forces. "There were some issues that were beyond our control, working with various people and companies," said Beth Schnitman, the assistant facilities director at the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs. "My goal: I'd love to see in two years for GreekNet to be fully functioning." Only four houses -- fraternities Alpha Tau Omega and Delta Tau Delta and sororities Sigma Delta Tau and Alpha Chi Omega -- are fully wired, according to Schnitman. ATO was completed as a pilot house so that OFSA could see how long the process would take. The first phase was funded in part by a Greek system reserve fund of about $400,000 gathered from houses over the past nine years. The University loaned the additional money, just under $1 million. But now the houses must pay for the second and third phases themselves. The cost depends on the number of students in the house. "We have money set aside, but there are plenty of things we could do with it," commented Kraver. "If it's something we have to do to keep up with the University, then they should pay for it." Privately-owned Greek houses are also hoping to complete the process soon, but they don't know how long it will take. "When it's not a University-owned house and they have to dig up Locust Walk then it becomes a problem," said College senior Josh Belinfante, the IFC president. For example, Belinfante's own house, Alpha Chi Rho, which is located just off Locust Walk on 36th Street, is not University-owned. "We can only hope that the University picks up its end of the bargain," he said. Phi Kappa Sigma President Jeff Snyder, the IFC vice president of rush and membership education, said he believed that Penn should regard ResNet installation in all houses as a priority. But he said University officials may not feel obligated to pick up the tab. "I think given that other houses have been wired, it should be the University's top priority to get wired," the Wharton senior said. "But I don't see why the University would spend a fortune for a private house."