Greeks work to fill houses

The time has come again to start thinking about housing for next year. But for fraternity and sorority members, the decision may not be as simple as choosing between high rise communities and off-campus living. Greeks may find themselves drafted to live in their houses if vacancies in the fall are expected, Pi Beta Phi President and College senior Caroline Djang said. Upon initiation into a fraternity or sorority, new members must sign an agreement to live in their chapter's house should the need to fill space arise. This agreement is necessary because chapter alumni and local landlords require certain Greek residences to fill all available rooms, Djang added. "A fraternity or sorority is just like any other business," Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski said, citing the bills to be paid and agreements that must be fulfilled. Many Greek chapters try to make their residences attractive to members by providing amenities such as live-in cooks. Greek houses are also in the process of being wired for ResNet. But if empty spaces still exist after room requests have been satisfied, a lottery is held to determine who will occupy the vacant rooms in the houses which do not allow for empty rooms, OFSA Assistant Director Beth Schnitman said. Each chapter's method of filling its house's empty space is determined by its bylaws. Reikofski said filling up the Greek houses has historically been a problem, because students are accustomed to making other residential arrangements and forget about the Greek housing option. Furthermore, since both the IFC and Panhel now operate under spring rush systems, by the time bids are granted, many students have already settled upon their housing plans for the following year, Reikofski said. Additional problems arise when students who are drafted to live in Greek residences have already obtained leases for houses and apartments outside of the University. Although students may occasionally be dismissed from their contracts by paying a fee, most of the time they must honor their legal residence agreements, Reikofski said. Schnitman, who meets monthly with each chapter's house manager, said that in her experience filling a sorority house usually poses no lasting problems. Since sororities consist of approximately 100-130 women, there are almost always more than enough people who are willing to live in one of their chapter house's 17-35 rooms, she said. But Djang said that prior to rush, most houses do find it necessary to resort to a designated method of assigning rooms to current members. But she added that these assignments are, for the most part, temporary. New pledges -- who usually want to spend their sophomore year in Greek residences -- often fill the spaces, she said. College freshman Jamie Cohen said she would miss the coed atmosphere she now enjoys in her Class of 1928 dorm in the Quadrangle, if she ended up living in a sorority house. But she added that the benefits of a sorority house outweigh this drawback and thinks that living with her friends would be enjoyable. Reikofski said some of the privately -owned Greek houses don't require every room to be filled. But if there are vacancies, the chapter has to draw that money from its budget. To prevent such a lack of funds, some chapters commonly charge a "parlor fee" to its members who live outside of the house but still use its supplies and facilities, Reikofski said.