Beta Theta Pi fraternity house, one of the university-approved housing options for eligible second-year students instead of residence halls, Oct. 23. Credit: Paige Puhalsky | Lantern TV Campus Producer
For some Ohio State second-years involved in Greek life, closer friendships, shared experiences and more privacy make living in a sorority or fraternity house more appealing than returning to the dorms.
Students returning to Ohio State for their second year can choose to live in university-approved sorority and fraternity houses instead of residence halls through the university’s housing exemption process, according to Akua Nelson, assistant director of housing for Sorority and Fraternity Life.
Nelson said in an email that living together can deepen students’ commitment to their chapters by strengthening their sense of sisterhood or brotherhood. There are 1,020 second-year students living in approved chapter facilities this academic year.
“For some, this is truly a home away from home,” Nelson said.
Roman Wullenweber, a second-year in mechanical engineering and member of Pi Kappa Alpha, said the option to have his own bedroom persuaded him to move after sharing a four-person room in Haverfield House during his first year.
“I didn’t have the worst time in the dorms, but it’s hard to compare to living in a house with all your best friends,” Wullenweber said.
Ella Jones, a second-year in nursing and member of Kappa Alpha Theta, said she chose to live in her sorority house instead of the dorms because she considered sharing a home with other women in her chapter a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Jones said she enjoys sharing meals with her sorority sisters. She said that she’s also motivated to stay productive by seeing other women in the house prioritize their academics.
“It’s so much more active in your house, getting close to so many more people,” Jones said.
Individual sorority and fraternity chapters select their residents, while students must request a housing contract exemption through Housing and Residence Education, Nelson said.
Megan Graham, a second-year in business finance and member of Kappa Delta, said visiting her older sister’s Alpha Xi Delta house while she was in high school helped her decide to live in Greek housing.
Graham said she prefers having meals prepared in her house, especially during colder months, over her walks to Siebert Hall’s cafeteria during her first year.
“I just really love it. I would not have changed this for anything,” Graham said. “I couldn’t really imagine being in a dorm this year.”
Keaton Groff, a second-year in finance and member of Beta Theta Pi, said he chose not to return to the dorms because nearly everyone in his fraternity class planned to live together and he liked the rooms in the chapter house, which was rebuilt in 2017.
“Last semester, we were all living in different parts of campus,” Groff said. “Now we’re living in the same house, so we’re able to bond even more.”
