Greeks open doors for holiday open house

[TSteven]

Greeks open doors for holiday open house
By KATIE NIELAND
December 05, 2005
© 2005 Daily Nebraskan
(The University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

James Taylor crooned Christmas carols as members of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity sat around their holiday tree with decorated cookies and hot chocolate Sunday afternoon.

Delta Tau Delta and 15 other greek chapters on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s campus hosted the Order of Omega’s first greek holiday open house tours.

Greek houses invited students, faculty and community members to tour the decorated houses.

Blair Hoffman, a senior communications major and member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, helped put up the multiple garlands and lights in her house.

“We want anyone from the community to come in and learn about greek life and tour the houses,” Hoffman said.

She said since many of the houses are old and historical, many people could be interested in touring them.

Jarrett Portnoy, a sophomore music education major and member of Delta Tau Delta, said some people stereotype fraternity houses as unkempt.

“It’s a chance for people from the community to see that this is a nice house and those rumors aren’t true,” Portnoy said.

Though the snow kept Portnoy and his fraternity brothers from putting up outside lights Saturday, they plan to add even more decorations to their house in the next week.

He said the family atmosphere created by putting up these holiday decorations comforts homesick members.

Alpha Chi Omega sorority house was easy to decorate, said Brittany Cooper, a sophomore broadcasting major, as the chapter’s official colors are red and green. The sorority’s symbol, a lyre, was integrated into wreaths and bows around the house.

Cooper said the sorority had already planned to have an open house for community members to showcase new renovations.

“Parents and members decorated together … it definitely added to the family environment,” Cooper said.

Linda Blomgren, a mother of a former Alpha Chi Omega member, visited the house for the tour of the decorations.

“It's fun to see the similarities and the differences between all the greek houses,” Blomgren said. “The personality of each different house stands out.”