It is the inherent nature of any college town to have an abundance of cheap housing available for students.

Whether it's a rental house with drafty windows, an apartment that smells of parties from yesteryear, or a sorority or fraternity house - these institutions seem indicative of the college experience as a whole.

This type of housing in East Lansing, though, is facing some drastic changes.

New developments such as the East Village redevelopment and the Virginia Avenue project are buying out student rental properties in order to erect new buildings that will bring in more permanent residents.

One fraternity, though, is standing its ground and vowing to stay in its current location.

FarmHouse, a fraternity located at 151 Bogue St., recently met with The Pierce Company Inc., the San Diego-based group behind the East Village redevelopment. The Pierce Company gave FarmHouse the options of renovating an existing house, building a new house or moving its current house to a new spot a safe distance away.

FarmHouse denied these options, standing strong in their historical home. Fraternity members said if they were relocated, they would require the same proximity to campus they currently have, room for all current members and room for potential expansion. These requests are not unreasonable. The house has historical and personal significance to its present and past occupants.

Perhaps more students should stand up like the residents of FarmHouse. These new redevelopments are simply another example of the city showing little regard for the student population.

It is no secret that the university and its students bring in a large amount of revenue and recognition to the city. Yet, it appears the city's message to students is "out of sight, out of mind."

With Cedar Village - the current hub of student housing - gone, students will not have a place all their own.

The most likely place they will begin to fill is the Northern Tier, a group of apartments positioned far away from campus.

But pushing students farther away will surely have unwanted results for the city and its downtown businesses. With less of a student population immediately present, revenue will decrease.

On top of that, by ostracizing college students from the heart of a college town, what will happen to East Lansing's reputation?

The city risks becoming known as a place where students are exiled to faraway housing, detached from the features that drew them to this place to begin with.

FarmHouse's struggle is a microcosm for what is happening on a larger scale between students and the city.

By denying The Pierce Company's offers, the fraternity is standing up for the future of college life.