POLL: Have you lived in your chapters' house/dorm/suite/residential facility?

[PhoenixAzul]

No, and I really have no intention of doing so. I keep odd hours...12 am bed, 5 am wake up, mid day nap, lots of banging of cycling equipment in between. My living habits would probably drive my poor sisters nuts. There's only room for 5 people to live in the house too. Plus, in my campus suite, I don't have to pay utilities, which is a plus because I don't work when I'm in school. I hang ou tthere a lot, as much as I can, really. Last year I spent the night there a lot on the sleeper couch because it was so effing hot in the dorm and the house has AC.

[lauralaylin]

Jocelyn, I definitely think that living in the house brings you closer to your sisters, especially some that you never really knew. I moved in during the middle of my sophmore year, and it really helped me get to know everyone. Before that I would only be at the house during the day, I had no idea what I was missing out on. All the bonding goes on at night, ordering pizza at 11pm, gossiping in someone's room, that type of thing. There are definitely negatives like loud music, loud people, random guys walking around sometimes (be very careful who you let in!), but the good outweighs the negatives by so much. I lived in the house for the rest of my time at college, and I loved every minute of it.

[BetteDavisEyes]

I lived there for a year & it was the best & worst thing I could have done. The best b/c my roommate & became really close whereas before, we knew each other but not about each other. There was always someone to talk to & bitch with.

The worst is that a bunch of girls together for long periods of time create a lot of drama that you think is stupid.

I wouldn't trade my sorority house experience for anything in the world but one year was more than enough.
Incidentally, 15 girls can live in our house at the same time. It's 2 girls to a room except the President gets her own room.

[AGDAlum]

Back in my day -- the early 1970's at Mizzou -- everyone but town girls had to live in the house. That applied to all the NPC groups on campus. About the only exception was second semester seniors when the chapter house was full. House capacity was 60-70 and chapter total was about 90.

I moved in the second semester of freshman year and lived in the house until I graduated -- a total of 3-1/2 years. (I had apartments the two summers I was in school, since the house was closed then.)

Our house was new, compared to the others in Greektown, built in 1964 and very modern. The rooms were built as quads but because our chapter was small (alas) we had mostly triples. Had the house been full we would have used the shared rooms (formal and informal living rooms, the two study rooms, even the chapter room) a lot more, because a four-person room is crowded. Since we were 2 and 3 to a room we could hole up in them more comfortably.

We changed rooms and roommates three times a year (that is, September, end of October, mid-February). I managed to be in a different room every single time (11 rooms out of 16).

It's hard to image Greek life without a chapter house. I know that's not the situation for many of you. The way your campus/chapter does it becomes your norm.

AGDAlum

[flirt5721]

I lived in our house for 3 semesters (and that's enough for me). For 2 semesters I had a double and for one I had a singel.

Advise:

1) Try to get along with your roommate (if you have one) or give it a chance and if it doesn't work talk to your exec. and asked to be moved.

2) Make sure to follow your houses "man hours"(hours in which guys are allowed at the house)

3) Talk to everyone in the house. Don't segergate yourselves into little groups.

4) Enjoy it. Living in the house is so much fun. You do a lot of stuff with the other sisters.

5) If you like to drink, do it outside of the house. Don't take the risk of taking some into the house.

6) Respect the other girls and don't be to loud after a night of fun.

[ISUKappa]

I lived in my chapter house for three and a half years -- from second semester Freshman year until I graduated my senior year. I lived one semester in a four-man, one semester in a three-man and all other semesters in two-mans (we slept in our rooms as opposed to having cold-airs). Our house could hold a total of 65 girls.

I absolutely loved living in the house. We had a housekeeper, so we were only responsible for the cleaning of our personal rooms and general tidying of the house, (like we couldn't leave a million pizza boxes and late-night snacks out for housekeeping to clean up). We had a cook, so I only had to worry about meals from Friday night to Sunday (and there were usually tons of leftovers in the kitchen for the weekends--which is where we would gather around 11-12 the next morning to hear all the stories from the night before). We had a beautiful, spacious house that was literally across the street from campus and two blocks from campustown.

I loved that I could walk down the halls and find someone who was always willing to make a Target run with me, always willing to walk down to DQ for a snack, always willing to go smoke (yeah, I know, but that's where we had some of the best conversations), always willing to watch Friends or 90210 (not the ones in syndication--boy, that dates when I was active) and most of the time, it was always someone different.

Definitely have a place outside the house to escape to, and know that it's okay to have your door shut even when you're in the room. Lock up or hide your important things (like jewelry) and mark things like CDs, DVDs and sometimes even clothes (on the tags) with your initals.

I really feel I got to know almost everyone living in the house, some better than others. Even though I wasn't bestest friends with them all, we were all on first-name, friendly terms. I don't think there wasn't anyone I didn't feel comfortable with while living in the house. And I definitely learned more about myself, how I interacted with people and how I handled different situations.

[Tom Earp]

When I started the Local, We didnt have a House. I got us one for the second Sem. and everyone was able to get out of their contracts and moved in. A rental house only but we worked our rears off to get it nice looking. The fartherest one from Campus and We walked. No Big Deal, it was ours.

Had 3 other Roomies, blocked off a Nook to make a bedroom. Built a room in the basement for a room. 16 guys and two bath tubed rooms. We built a shower in the dungeon.

Lived there 1 1/2 years till I got married but was at the House as much as I was at the little peice of crap She and I rented.

Different then, yepper, We had a Mission to Join a National Fraternity so We all worked our rears off. We had a ball working, playing, and studying together even though most had various Vocations of study. House rules, quiet Hours, We had to get our Grades.

I would not have missed any moment of it. It was Our Focal Point. Hey where is so and so, at the House!!

Live in the House and enjoy, then get out as You get older and let someone else have the fun.

We all slept in our suite one night for a retreat, does that count?

[KSUViolet06]

Originally posted by ADPiZXalum
We all slept in our suite one night for a retreat, does that count?

Sure.

[OXofallthemenOX]

I'm still living in the chapter house and plan on it for all my undergard years.

[AGDLynn]

I moved onto the chapter dorm hall the Spring of my freshman year..then fresh were required to live in a separate dorm, thank goodness.

I lived the rest of my time in various rooms. One semester I lived up on the third floor cause at that time we only had 5 sororities...now it's the AXiD hall but IHQ said I was an EC officer so I had to live on the Alpha Gam hall....12 steps down.

Didn't want to move out because I didn't want to give up my parking space plus I knew that I'd feel lonlier living in an apt with 2-3 more people.

This is why the new proposed Greek dorms should be interesting...not sure which concept I like..too bad they can't build a new dorm like they have now...with more individual bathrooms, lol.

[FSUZeta]

jocelyn, i lived in the house officially for three years and unofficially for 4(dorm roommate and i did not get along). i loved it! your college years are the only time you will have the opportunity to live in a sorority house(unless you become a housemother later in life).take advantage of that privelege!

[ADPi Conniebama]

I lived in the Chapter Suite for 2 years.

I LOVED IT!!!

I was involved in EVERYTHING.

I never got "pulled up" on any ethics violations, cause, everyone took care of everyone else in the chapter room. I never got behind on my "points" cause I was always the one people called to get things done. (again cause I loved being involved) My grades were better cause I didn't want to not be able to do stuff.

Those were the best two years of my college career.

HAVE A GREAT TIME

[exlurker]

Jocelyn, best of luck, wahtever you decide. Just wanted to mention something that I'll bet you're taking ino consideration -- more for others reading this than for you -- You've mentioned that you have a disability, so you may want to do a thorough walk-through of the house. If applicable, you may want to be sure that all the places you'll need or want to be in, and anything you'll want or need to use is (reasonably) accessible, or at least can be made accessible.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally posted by exlurker
Jocelyn, best of luck, wahtever you decide. Just wanted to mention something that I'll bet you're taking ino consideration -- more for others reading this than for you -- You've mentioned that you have a disability, so you may want to do a thorough walk-through of the house. If applicable, you may want to be sure that all the places you'll need or want to be in, and anything you'll want or need to use is (reasonably) accessible, or at least can be made accessible.

I've talked about this with Housing Corp before. That's honestly not much of a problem because they've told me that I could have a first floor SINGLE bedroom. Everything I'd need in the house is on that floor (accessible bathroom, kitchen, etc). There are a few stairs leading upstairs to other rooms and downstairs to the chapter room/game room/study area. But honestly, it's nothing I can't handle.