Home
| Steel House seeks new members |
|
|
| Written by Savannah Cummings - Argonaut | ||||||
| Tuesday, 04 March 2008 | ||||||
|
Meeting for women’s cooperative Wednesday After becoming homeless last spring when their house was closed, the women of Ethel Steel House are again trying to start up in new digs. The women’s cooperative, which was opened on April 11, 1953, was the oldest women’s cooperative in the United States when the University of Idaho closed the building last spring, stating that it no longer met safety codes to continue as a dormitory. It was estimated that the building would cost around $1.2 million to $2 million to fix. The building is now being made into offices and storage space, which was estimated to cost less than $200,000. The group disbanded as a living organization fall semester but hasn’t stopped thinking about how to get back on campus, said co-president Sara Cooke. The remaining members of Steel House are holding a reception at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Phi Kappa Tau living room to try to find new members and get the women’s cooperative running again. The effort is being fully supported by the Office of Student Affairs, said Bruce Pitman, vice provost for student affairs. The office is helping cover costs for the group such as advertising and has helped work out a housing agreement with the Phi Tau fraternity. The Phi Tau house closed last year due to low membership. The Pi Beta Phi sorority, whose house is being remodeled after a fire, is living in the house now. “There seems to be a very positive spirit in terms of negotiating,” Pitman said. Cooke has appreciated the efforts of Pitman and Student Affairs. “Bruce Pitman has been really, really good with helping us. He wants to see Steel House up and running again,” she said. Right now, the group has around 10 previous members interested in living in the new house, but it is hoping for 20-30 members, Cooke said. The more members Steel House can get, the cheaper the cost for the residents. “One of the big things about Steel House was that it was affordable,” Cooke said. In cooperative-style living, each resident is responsible for certain chores and cooking their own meals, which keeps costs down. The residents also spend a lot of time bonding with each other, Cooke said. “We have a really good sense of community,” she said. “We did a whole lot of things last year together. It was a really good place to live.” Women interested in joining Steel House can attend meeting or contact Cooke at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.  Add as favorites (38) | Views: 570
Write Comment
|
||||||
