A day of classes has ended, and as the sun prepares to set behind the Rec Center, small groups of guys cluster in and around the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house.
Some are outside and some sit crowded around a small table in an interior room, snacking and listening to the latest “Did you hear about … ?” story.
A short walk away, and one day later, a growing group of ladies filter into a large downstairs room with their bookbags. The abundant conversation builds the noise level until, at last, a thoughtful sister approaches each study table and politely requests silence.
“If you need to talk, could you please go in another room?” she asks.
Such is life in most of the 30 Greek houses lining the University lakes: a fun, sometimes crazy atmosphere but always controlled enough to study.
“My dorm is quieter, but I come here sometimes to study,” said Brandon Devillier, who makes the short walk from Herget Hall to visit the Pi Kappa Phi house.
Each Greek organization has some kind of program to encourage scholarship in its students, said Victor Felts, assistant dean of students and director of Greek Affairs.
“Luckily, [our office] doesn’t have to do much,” Felts said. “Most of the organizations are very competitive to attain the highest grade point average, and the average GPA for both fraternities and sororities exceeds the non-Greek GPA [at the University].”
So, what is going on at these houses that makes studying a challenge, anyway?
“We have exchanges, meetings, and other activities going on two or three times each week,” said Lee Waycaster, a junior from Natchez, Miss., and a former resident of a sorority house.
Other Greek students stressed living in a fraternity or sorority house makes it easier to become involved with those activities.
“It’s easier to know what’s going on because everything’s posted here (at the house), and there’s everybody else here to talk to, and they’ll let you know what’s going on,” said Johnathan Lindsey, vice president of Pi Kappa Phi.
Most Greek organizations, in fact, require students to spend at least a year living in their organization’s house, Felts said.
Requirements for membership vary among organizations, so Felts advised interested students to consult their fraternity or sorority.
Johnathan Stevenson, president of Pi Kappa Phi, said campus rules prohibit freshmen from living in Greek houses.
“Obviously, you have to be a member of the chapter. You also have to pay rent to live in the house,” Stevenson said.
Kate Floyd, a current resident of a sorority house, said living in her Greek house was a better value than living in a residence hall.
“We did the math, and even with our rent and Greek meal plan, it’s still cheaper than living in a dorm and buying a meal plan,” Floyd said.
The meals served in Greek houses vary significantly from those in campus dining halls.
For example, Stevenson said a caterer prepares lunch and dinner for the residents of his house, and Floyd said two cooks prepare lunch, dinner and “sometimes breakfast” for the girls in her house. Many houses also ask students to eat dinner together each evening, Floyd said.
Sounds like a bed of roses, doesn’t it?
“Once you’ve lived here for about a year and a half you kind of want out,” Lindsey said. “It gets old. When you’re young it’s fun to live here because you’re living with like 40 of your best friends, but once you get older and more into school you want to start concentrating on that and you want to get out.”
Opinions may vary, but what ultimately matters is the mindset of those footing the bill.
“My parents love it. They’ve met all my friends … and they’ll come here and visit like once a month,” Lindsey said. “They know when it’s time to get my schoolwork done, I’ll find a place to get it done.”
Waycaster agreed. “My mom thinks she had the same room [when she lived in the house], so she thought it was a good thing for me,” she said.