University to convert one Greek house; future of other house uncertain

Tamica Jean-Charles/Entertainment Director

 

The Greek pause may be long over but the fate of the two Greek houses on campus still remains.

Located at the southwest corner of the Modesto Maidique campus lies the vacated houses of suspended fraternities Phi Gamma Delta and Pi Kappa Phi. FIU took custody over both houses right after the two organizations were suspended, shortly after the Greek pause in spring 2018.

The Office of the President confirmed to Student Media that the University will not be offering the houses to another fraternity or sorority at this time.

While the status of the FIJI house, or Greek House One, has yet to be determined, the PIKE house, or Greek House Two, will be used for a different project.

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department and National Disaster Medical System awarded $5 million dollars to FIU’s Academy for International Disaster Preparedness to train disaster response medical over the next five years to “evacuate and provide specialized medical care to patients inflight.”

The International Disaster Preparedness will offer basic and advanced five-day, 40-hour courses for disaster medical professionals who serve on federal medical assistance teams, according to the Office of Operations and Safety memorandum obtained by PantherNOW.

The Decision Lab will be combining technology and analytical tools that will allow various leaders across South Florida to “test solutions and alternatives” in a laboratory setting before implementation, according to the memorandum.

StartUP FIU and its clients will mainly use the lab for its technology.

FIU is discussing a potential million dollar gift with the Helios Foundation, but in the meantime, FIU’s Board of Trustees has already approved $5 million dollars in funding for the lab’s computing needs.

The memorandum states that faculty members from the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, local hospitals and first responder agencies will be able to receive training from the center.

The Decision Lab will reflect one built at Arizona State University’s campus called the Decision Theater. StartUP will be in charge of the design, development and implementation.

The FIJI house, or Greek house one, was originally owned by the national fraternity but was obtained by the University shortly after the fraternity’s suspension in early 2018.

The fate of the FIJI house still remains up in the air as the University does not intend to give the house back to the fraternity, according to Brenezza Garcia, the associate vice president of Institutional Relations.

New renovations to the PIKE house will include training rooms, conference and classrooms, along with a reception area and security cameras.

Garcia also told Student Media that Rosenberg is not “anti-Greek” but “has made it very evident” that he wants to “work with Greek alum and students to progress in a healthy way.”

Yet, Garcia also said that Rosenberg would not like any Greek houses on campus at this time.