Move over, boys.
The Kappa Alpha Theta sorority has taken over a prize piece of property in the Greek world. About 20 sisters spent the week before classes filing into the house at 3817 Walnut Street -- once home to the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity.
The house wasn't exactly up to the, well, feminine standards the Theta sisters had hoped.
"If there's one downfall to moving into an old frat house, it's that the bathrooms are not suitable for the average Penn girl," said College sophomore Diana Feinstein, Theta's facility manager.
And, according to the girls, the floors are not foot-friendly after years of fraternity keg parties.
Chapter President Catherine Haldy said that Theta is considering new floors, but that extensive remodeling will have to wait until winter break, when everyone is out of the house.
"It used to be a fraternity house, so it has years and years of residue," said Haldy, a College senior.
The sorority has been without a house for approximately two years. Its members have lived mostly off-campus in non-Greek housing recently.
Despite some minor work on the University-owned house that still needs to be done, Haldy said that she is extremely pleased to have a Theta house once again.
"It's wonderful," she said. "This is just the perfect space."
"We were just really lucky to have it," she added. "It's really hard to find housing for sororities in the University area."
"It really completes a missing element from our sorority for the past three years," Feinstein added.
The house is still far from perfect, according to the girls. They need another washer and dryer, for example, Haldy said.
"Mostly things have come up that we couldn't foresee were going to be a problem," Haldy said, also pointing to some plumbing deficiencies.
But the location of the house is one major plus for the sorority, allowing the girls to get a little more beauty sleep.
"It's such a great location, because we're so close to campus," Haldy said. "I roll out of bed, and then I'm at class."
Feinstein said that, additionally, Theta has worked hard to preserve SAM memorabilia still located in the house, including the SAM crest. And the women are making some effort to stay friends with the guys, even though they moved into the house once occupied by the frat after it was kicked off campus by the University.
"We've welcomed all the old SAMs into the house to come see the changes," she said. "I think a lot of them were impressed."
The house, however, didn't quite live up to the changes expected by the guys.
"They thought we were going to paint it all pink and purple, but we've kept it pretty neutral," Feinstein said.
The location is lauded by Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski.
"We wanted them to have a physical presence on campus and be able to be competitive with other chapters," he said. "I'm real pleased to have them in that property."
Theta's former house was located close to 41st and Walnut streets. According to Haldy, the chapter lost that house because the lease was up and the group did not want to recommit to a ten-year lease.
After losing the house, Theta had difficulty with rush.
"We had to have [rush] in random classrooms," Haldy said. "It was really hard for us. It just made it a lot more stressful."
Now, the president is glad that Theta will have not only a much more ideal location to hold rush, but also a "central place for everyone to hang out."
Haldy said that older sisters who don't live in the house can stop by as well. To facilitate this renewed sense of unity, Theta now sponsors dinners at the house five nights a week.
Theta also holds its chapter meetings at the new house.
