Ohio State unveils plaza honoring National Pan-Hellenic Council's fraternities, sororities

Melissa Shivers would not take a peek.

At an informal gathering with reporters Thursday afternoon, Shivers , who is Ohio State University's senior vice president for student life, kept her back turned to the new National Pan-Hellenic Council Plaza on the university's South Oval. She didn't want to see it and spoil the surprise for Saturday's official unveiling ceremony.

"I've been so good about avoiding this spot!" Shivers said with a laugh.

The students there with her couldn't blame her, though. After nearly a century of students advocating for this space on campus, what were a couple more days of waiting for the big reveal?

Ohio State students, administrators and alumni unveiled and dedicated the National Pan-Hellenic Council Plaza late Saturday morning. The plaza recognizes the contributions and impact the council has made on campus, and celebrates and honors the nine historically Black, Greek-lettered fraternities and sororities at Ohio State, better known as the Divine Nine.

The oval-shaped plaza features a garden terrace, large pavilion seating and pillar monuments of each National Pan-Hellenic Council sorority and fraternity. The pillars, arranged in order from oldest to newest, feature each organization's name, Greek letters, crest shields, mission statements and colors.

All nine organizations in the council have charters at Ohio State: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.; Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.; and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.

Coined "Project Excellence" by the university, Shivers said the plaza cost $1.2 million, which came from university discretionary dollars and fundraising. Conversations about creating a plaza started in September 2020, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held in April 2021.

But the story of this plaza goes back much further, according to Rayonna Booth, an Ohio State graduate student studying public health and a Zeta Phi Beta sorority member. Black Ohio State students have been pushing the university to create a space like this since the early 1900s, Booth said.

Plazas like these recognizing National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations, often called plots, are commonplace at historically Black colleges and universities. But at predominately white institutions like Ohio State, Booth said, it can be harder for Black students to see spaces for themselves like this.

About 6% of Ohio State students are Black/African American. Research shows that creating spaces for Black students to find community is not a focus for many predominantly white institutions.

Jordan Soltau, a senior studying health sciences and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, said the new plaza will be a space for current and prospective Ohio State students alike.

"When I was touring campus as a high school student, I was like, 'Wow, I don't see anyone who looks like me,'" she said.

Now, students walking from the Ohio Union to Mirror Lake will pass by the plaza and see themselves represented on campus.

"This is Black history cemented at Ohio State," said Shivers, who is herself a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha

The location is no coincidence, according to Shivers. The plaza is nestled next to the Hale Black Cultural Center, named in honor of Frank Hale, Jr., a civil rights crusader who advocated for opportunities for minority students at Ohio State. The Hale Black Cultural Center and the new plaza are located along what historians say was once a path used on the Underground Railroad.

Christopher Scott, an Ohio State architecture student and National Pan-Hellenic Council president at the university, said he hopes the plaza will be a campus icon among other landmarks like Ohio Stadium, the Oval and Mirror Lake.

"It's a dream come true to see it completed," said Scott, a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. "It shows that Black students are here to stay."

Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for her Mobile Newsroom newsletter here and Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here.

shendrix@dispatch.com

@sheridan120