Even seniors will feel the freshman rush of excitement this year as they return to campus. Why? Many of them will be finding their way in a new world too.
Over the summer, the University moved some selective living groups to make way for an independent corridor on Main West Quadrangle. As a result, 24 of the 26 selective groups moved to new locations on West.
"It's always hard when we make changes, particularly on West Campus, where things have been stagnant for a while," said Todd Adams, director of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
When the University chose new locations for selective groups last November, 11 received their top choices, but another 11 received housing that was not within their top three preferences. Drawing the most attention was the selective house grouping in Kilgo Quadrangle. Home to Brownstone, Delta Sigma Phi fraternity and Sigma Nu fraternity, Kilgo will cultivate what some are calling the residential plan's social experiment.
Members of both Delta Sig and Sigma Nu expressed concerns about sharing one commons room between them, a situation that has spawned the term "Delta Sigma Nu."
"It's obviously not completely ideal being stacked with another fraternity, particularly one that we compete in rush with," Sigma Nu senior and Interfraternity Council President Jeremy Morgan said. "But if we learn how to live well together, it could actually be a plus."
The two fraternities, both of whom have been socially suspended at different times in the last few years and whose nationals are scheduled to go dry, share Kilgo with Brownstone, a group that lived next door to Phi Kappa Psi fraternity until the fraternity lost its housing in 2001.
"We'll see when the belligerence ensues," Delta Sig sophomore Robbie Gregg said.
"Hopefully, we won't scare the living s--t out of [Brownstone residents]."
Brownstone senior Annie Way did not seem worried about the situation. "My sophomore year, we were next to a fraternity and it didn't bother me," she said. "I'm more concerned about the noise from the dumpsters [from construction outside Kilgo] than from fraternities."
Adams said locations were assigned based on group preferences and size and that Delta Sig and Sigma Nu were not placed next to Brownstone to condemn them to Phi Psi's fate.
"That's just how it shook up," Adams said. "The fact that they ended up together might be somewhat ironic, but I think they will all get along."
Partially to facilitate interaction among selective groups that share quads, Student Affairs created new resident coordinator positions, said Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta. However, the Kilgo RC quit before the year began and has been replaced by Deb LoBiondo, assistant dean of residential life.
Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity is one of two groups that stayed in the same location as last year, although its space configuration has changed somewhat.
"People know where we are, and we are used to the rooms, so that's nice," PiKA junior Manny Stockman said.
Their neighbor has changed from Kappa Alpha fraternity to Wayne Manor. PiKA junior Scott Van Brunt said he liked not having another fraternity next door.
KA moved to Delta Sig's old section in Few Quadrangle. KA junior Gillis Schwartz said he liked the new dorm's bigger rooms and proximity to the West-Edens Link diner, but would have preferred to stay in the group's former location.
And although some groups, like the all-female Cleland selective group, complained about being relocated to Edens Quadrangle, Kappa Sigma fraternity requested to be reassigned back to Edens after initially being assigned to Few Quad.
Kappa Sig brothers, who ended up just moving across the Edens yard, had similar sentiments to those of KA: They would have preferred to stay put but are pleased with their new location.
"A house is just made of bricks and bricks are just made of clay," Kappa Sig junior Mark Boyd said. "It's the people in the dorm who really bond life."
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