This article appeared in the AthensNEWS

Student groups compete in cardboard construction to benefit Habitat project

By Breanne Smith
Athens NEWS Campus Writer
Monday, February 20th, 2006

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With Ohio University's enrollment growing, developers are racing each other to provide housing for all the new students. It's doubtful, however, that any of them could match the speed with which a cardboard village popped up practically overnight on OU's Howard Hall site on Union Street.

According to a news release by the Athens County Habitat for Humanity (ACHFH) and the Ohio University Habitat for Humanity Student Chapter, five OU student organizations took part in Bobcat Build, a competition hosted by the two groups.

Organizations were given two weeks to build 2-feet-by-2-feet cardboard houses to celebrate and raise awareness for the upcoming build of the 20th ACHFH house in the Athens community.

Participating organizations included the Cutler Scholars, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Alpha Lambda Delta Freshman Honor Society, Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity and Delta Zeta Sorority.

Steve Maltarich, executive programming officer of Phi Kappa Tau, said his fraternity has been trying to incorporate more community service projects into its agenda.

"We had several members of our fraternity who have done projects with Habitat for Humanity in the past and were eager to help out," Maltarich said. "There is nothing more satisfying to our fraternity than being able to promote a noble cause while at the same time gaining positive recognition across campus."

Organizations were pretty creative in their house designs. Styles included a barn, a love shack, a traditional doll house and a fraternity house, among others. "We eventually decided to attempt to replicate our chapter house on 50 East State Street," Maltarich said. "However, this was quite challenging since our house is a fairly complex shape with several awkward angles. Despite the initial difficulties in planning, we were all quite pleased with how the house turned out."

Morgan Staley of Habitat for Humanity said the two finalists in the Bobcat Build competition are Phi Kappa Tau and Alpha Lambda Delta. Jennifer Johnston, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer serving at ACHFH, and a representative from the OU Habitat chapter, will judge the competition. Winners will be announced at the Men's Basketball Pep Rally at 7 p.m. Thursday in OU's Convocation Center.

The 20th ACHFH house will be built for a local family that has already been selected. According to the news release, ACHFH's Family Selection committee chooses families based on level of need, willingness to partner and ability to repay the no-interest loan. Each family's income must be between 30 and 50 percent of the Athens County median income.

When there are many applicants, the committee looks at family size and the conditions of the current residency. There is also a local application that families must complete.

Habitat for Humanity International was founded as a nonprofit Christian organization in 1976, according to its website.

Since then, HHI has built and rehabilitated more than 150,000 houses with families in need. The news release indicates that HHI relies on volunteer labor and donations of money and materials to help cover the $60,000 approximate cost of each house. ACHFH joined this international organization in 1990, and has since helped to build safe and affordable homes in Athens County.

Anyone interested in becoming involved with the Athens County Habitat for Humanity or Ohio University Habitat for Humanity Student Chapter can view their websites at http://www.athenshabitat.org/ and http://ohiou.edu/~habitat.