Du Bois residents push for renovations

W.E.B. DuBois College House was the site of a meeting last night to discuss potential renovations to the building the residents say are desperately needed.

When College freshmen Everett Benjamin and Ryan Jobson applied for housing as incoming students, they listed the same top three preferences: DuBois College House, DuBois and DuBois.

Now the two roommates and Political Co-chairs of UMOJA - the umbrella organization for student groups of the African Diaspora - are fighting to keep DuBois at the top of other students' lists by pushing for renovations of the 36-year-old college house.

At an open forum last night organized by the Penn chapter of the NAACP at DuBois, students expressed concerns about the lack of funding that has been allocated toward renovating the building, especially in comparison to what other college houses - particularly the high rises - have received.

DuBois has received $1.8 million in the last five years for smaller renovations like painting walls and upgrading sprinkler systems, Business Services spokeswoman Barbara Lea-Kruger wrote in an e-mail.

An additional $1 million will be spent this summer on improvements like replacing the dumbwaiter, updating the laundry room and upgrading faculty and staff apartments, she added.

But a couple million is small compared to the approximately $106 million that will be given to the three high rises over four years or the roughly $112 million given to the Quadrangle, said Wharton and College junior Lisa Zhu, United Minorities Council chairwoman and Daily Pennsylvanian columnist. It is also lower than the $11 million slated for renovations to Gregory, King's Court English and Hill College Houses, the other low rises.

"It brings up an issue of equity," she said.

Vice President of Facilities and Real Estate Anne Papageorge couldn't confirm these exact statistics, but she did point out that less money is allocated to low rises in general because they are smaller.

Papageorge also explained that the Quad and high rises were slated to be the first college houses to undergo renovations because they serve larger student populations. At the meeting last night, representatives from Business Services announced that DuBois will face a full-scale renovation in 2010, after the high-rise project is finished.

The open forum and the commitment to a future renovation are a beginning, said Benjamin, but they are long overdue.

"The positive thing is that there's attention being given, which is a testament to students being vocal about it," he said. "But there's still frustration."

One of those frustrations, Jobson said, is that "we're paying the same amount in rent money as anyone in the high rises, but there's a very different standard."

That discrepancy in standards will be captured on film by a project proposed by the Penn chapter of the NAACP to photograph rooms in DuBois compared to rooms in other college houses.

What the photos will document in DuBois are windows lacking screens, dilapidated furniture and "carpeting [that] has obviously been the same since it opened," Jobson said.

Given the spirit in which DuBois was officially created in 1972, both Jobson and Benjamin feel the administration has not done enough to encourage the development of its reputation as an on-campus institution for diversity.

"There needs to be a statement made not just verbally but monetarily," added Benjamin.

As "easily the most diverse house on campus," said Jobson, "[House Dean Patricia Williams] calls it the United Nations of the University of Pennsylvania."

*This article was edited at 7:47 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2. We incorrectly stated that $187 million will be spent on the high rises over the next four years; that is the amount that has been spent on them since they were first constructed.

Comments (18)

[QUOTE id="2cd4950a-10e9-45c0-a350-a4efacf23cdd"]When have white people on this campus gone out their way to welcome Black people to their events? I promise you that if you step outside your comfort zone and go to DuBois, you will find that you indeed will be welcomed.[/QUOTE] Do I detect some anger in this response? Maybe if you would stop lashing out at whitey more would be welcoming.

I am afraid it won't be as easy as the last post suggests. The country has not slayed its monster of a racial legacy. Yes, we need more civility and forgiveness. It just won't happen if we pretend skin color has no bearing on our relationships at every level.

It brings up an issue of equity, DuBois is just like Gregory in terms of size and layout. There is no reason why other low-rises should get renovated and DuBois ignored. Let's leave the race talk aside, and focus on the equity. Jobson made a great point in the article. Why should he have to pay as much for an inferior room, as someone in another low-rise style dorm?

It seems to me that when you look at the numbers, the distribution of funds for the low rises is actually quite equitable. The combined population of Gregory, King's Court English House and Hill is approximately 1,045 residents. When you break the money down that is being spent on renovations in these buildings, DuBois with a population of about 164 should be slated for 1.7M. Isn't 2.8M more than equitable? It stands to reason that every College House can't be renovated first. If DuBois is slated for renovation in 2010, I say take the money and learn from the other buildings renovations and do it right in 2010!

As "easily the most diverse house on campus," said Jobson Wow, that is pure ignorance

Its always annoying that these type of things are somehow spun into racial charges accusations by reactionary organizations like the NAACP. Really ridiculous. Maybe if you didn't play the racism card all the time you would see more progress.

Don't all houses make all people feel welcome? Is there honestly a sense that some groups are not welcomed or specifically made to feel unwelcome? (unless you consider white, conservative, straight men - who are not made to feel welcome in most places).

[QUOTE id="80c4e47e-88a7-4dbf-8c5b-1cc8129a6d96"]I am afraid it won't be as easy as the last post suggests. The country has not slayed its monster of a racial legacy. Yes, we need more civility and forgiveness. It just won't happen if we pretend skin color has no bearing on our relationships at every level.[/QUOTE] Otay!

I lived in Hill frosh year - it was an absolute shit hole. No AC or heat (my heat was broken all winter long), bars on the windows, dust everywhere, prison cell room, disgusting bathrooms, roaches, etc. It was unfair that I paid as much as people with beautiful, spacious rooms in the Quad and high rises. There's a lot of unfairness on campus in terms of housing that needs to be addressed, but none of it has to do with the skin color or ethnic background of the occupants. The fact that DuBois is diverse (read: mostly black) has no bearing on whether it needs renovations. When you pull the race card, people stop taking you seriously. Brining this issue up at an NAACP meeting undermines your goals and your credibility.

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DuBois residents frequently try to refute claims that it's the "black house" -- that all students are welcome -- by citing multicultural goings-on or the fact that it's supposedly "majority non-black." Yet they call in the NAACP to handle an issue (house renovations) that has no bearing on race. Maybe if this double standard was eliminated, there would be less hostility directed at DuBois (as seen by some of the above replies to this article).

Dubois is the most diverse - it has all different shades of black -

[QUOTE id="802b9b7d-f879-41b8-a58c-173d1dee294b"]Its always annoying that these type of things are somehow spun into racial charges accusations by reactionary organizations like the NAACP. Really ridiculous. Maybe if you didn't play the racism card all the time you would see more progress.[/QUOTE] I find it hilarious that the NAACP would be attacked from the RIGHT for being "reactionary." Sure, they are not a "revolutionary" organization by any stretch of the imagination, but "reactionary"? No, I don't think so. Or maybe you are just a dumbass who doesn't know the meaning of the word reactionary when used in a political context.

I'm pretty sure International House could make a better claim to being the "United Nations of Penn" than a college focused on African-Americans. Nice try, though.

It is obvious that you have not attended many events or programs (if not none at all) at/sponsored by Dubois. Otherwise you would recognize that the House in not focus solely on African-Americans, but on Diversity at large. Instructional dance sessions are frequently held in MPR by Onda Latina as well as ASE (a Saturday Academy working with student from nearby Philadelphia schools and operated by Penn students, faculty and Alumni). The GAs work with the House funds to support student attendance at Ethnic Food tours, featuring various restaurants from New Delhi, to Beijing, to Fatou & Fama. As well, the House buys tickets to be given freely to students and/or supply space for events such as the Pan-Asian Dance Troupe shows, NSP Gospel Concerts, Six Directions Celebration of Native American Heritage and African Rhythms. In addition, numerous classes, such as Psychology of Ethnicity (held in MPR) and Without Struggle (held in Seminar A) are taken in the College House in order to attract greater attention to the historic diversity it upholds. Do not be skeptical due to the misunderstandings and fractured conversation surrounding Dubois (as is recognized by student�?s misconception that Dubois primarily houses a predominately Black student population). I suggest you become informed to ensure that you are better educated on the history of the House and its present state. *As a quick addition to the renovations: Uchoraji Lounge Sonia Elliot room These will also be renovated during the summer along with what else is mentioned in the article

[QUOTE id="727e1976-1cac-4ebf-93b3-286164d464f4"]It is obvious that you have not attended many events or programs (if not none at all) at/sponsored by Dubois. Otherwise you would recognize that the House in not focus solely on African-Americans, but on Diversity at large. Instructional dance sessions are frequently held in MPR by Onda Latina as well as ASE (a Saturday Academy working with student from nearby Philadelphia schools and operated by Penn students, faculty and Alumni). The GAs work with the House funds to support student attendance at Ethnic Food tours, featuring various restaurants from New Delhi, to Beijing, to Fatou & Fama. As well, the House buys tickets to be given freely to students and/or supply space for events such as the Pan-Asian Dance Troupe shows, NSP Gospel Concerts, Six Directions Celebration of Native American Heritage and African Rhythms. In addition, numerous classes, such as Psychology of Ethnicity (held in MPR) and Without Struggle (held in Seminar A) are taken in the College House in order to attract greater attention to the historic diversity it upholds. Do not be skeptical due to the misunderstandings and fractured conversation surrounding Dubois (as is recognized by student�?s misconception that Dubois primarily houses a predominately Black student population). I suggest you become informed to ensure that you are better educated on the history of the House and its present state. *As a quick addition to the renovations: Uchoraji Lounge Sonia Elliot room These will also be renovated during the summer along with what else is mentioned in the article[/QUOTE] Although Dubois House does have some multicultural events they are significantly fewer than the International House and as a white person trying to broaden my horizons I have never been made to feel welcomed at Dubois by the mostly black residents.

When have white people on this campus gone out their way to welcome Black people to their events? I promise you that if you step outside your comfort zone and go to DuBois, you will find that you indeed will be welcomed.

DuBois is not mostly black, only 40% of the residents are of African descent. Those of you who doubt this have ever been there. This being said, DuBois is a house for all those interested in African American culture and educational advancement. However, this does not apply to the day-to-day life in the house any more than a residential program in any other house.

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