ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, March 24, 1996                 TAG: 9603250008
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-18 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY STAFF WRITER BLACKSBURG

GREEKS HAVE IMAGE PROBLEM, BOTH SIDES AGREE

While growing up in Blacksburg, Tracey Price heard all the fraternity horror stories, especially from her grandmother.

"A beer came flying through her window [one night] and spewed all over the room. That's what I heard about," she said.

Today, the Virginia Tech junior is a member of the Delta Zeta sorority and a staunch supporter who thinks Greeks do not deserve the party image thrust upon them.

"We've cleaned up our act considerably," she said. "The typical animal house, that's not what we're about anymore."

This year, the town is tackling the Greek housing issue with a proposal that would permit Greek housing in certain areas of town where they already exist. With a special use permit, fraternities and sororities could renovate or expand existing houses or move into these areas.

Zoning typically isn't a hot topic among students, but the debate over Greek housing has been closely followed by fraternity and sorority members. Both the Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils, the university governing bodies for fraternities and sororities respectively, have had input on the special districts.

The town is linking this latest proposal to the overall image of the Greek system and to initiatives to encourage fraternities and sororities to be good neighbors.

Those include better enforcement of town rules in conjunction with the Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils, the establishment of a mediation committee and a better way to tell town residents about the Greeks' positive actions, including helping local charities.

If there's one thing many Greeks, town residents and even the Police Department can agree upon, it's that fraternities and sororities have a public relations problem.

"I think most people have the impression that fraternities are drinking houses," said Police Lt. Bruce Bradberry, who serves as the town liaison with Greek organizations.

Most student disturbances actually result from off-campus parties not affiliated with fraternities, Bradberry said. When fraternity parties do cause problems, police simply talk to the group's president. "If we go to an apartment or house party, we've got to talk to 30 people before we found out who's on the lease," he said.

But fraternities and sororities are not innocents, either. Longtime Blacksburg resident Sara Thorne-Thomsen still recalls a fraternity party in town a few years ago that was so large she could not drive through the street.

"They may be trying to change their image but then they do something stupid," she said.

Gary Markle, Interfraternity Council president, said such sentiments are understandable. But as communication increases, Markle hopes attitudes will change.

"The big problem until two years ago is we didn't communicate with each other at all," said Markle, also a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. "Consequently, we were bad neighbors because we didn't know how to live and work in the town."

Ellen Braaten, who has lived in one of the stately brick houses on Roanoke Street for 23 years alongside several fraternities, has seen behavior in the past "that was worse than you would find in a big city." But she has worked with these fraternities through the years, helping to form a Roanoke Street Greek Council to deal with neighborhood issues including trash pickup after weekend parties.

The trash isn't always removed every Sunday morning by the fraternities members, but the dialogue has been ongoing.

"If the students have direction and the students take responsibility, then they'll have something they can be proud of," said Braaten, who wants to sell her house to a sorority if the zoning change is approved.

LENGTH: Medium:   79 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  ALAN KIM/Staff. Roanoke Street resident Ellen Braaten  
          has lived alongside several fraternities for 23 years. She has 
          worked with fraternities through the years, helping to form a 
          Roanoke Street Greek Council to deal with neighborhood issues 
          including trash pickup after weekend parties. Braaten wants to sell 
          her house to a sorority if the zoning change is approved. color.