In 1872, five years after the University was founded, Delta Tau Delta was established as the campus’ first Greek organization.
Since its inception, the University’s Greek community has become a mainstay in the area. Today, the University recognizes 49 fraternities and 38 sororities with 6,366 undergraduate members.
Many Greek-affiliated students pledge a fraternity or sorority in their first year at the University and go on to live in the house for the duration required in their housing contract.
Noah Olivero, sophomore in AHS, is president of the Illinois chapter of the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity.
“We have a requirement that every member must spend at least one year in the house,” Olivero said. “Unless they have some other circumstances that they can’t.”
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Unlike in University Housing, residents in Greek houses live exclusively alongside members of their organization. According to Olivero, this level of closeness contributes to a more comfortable living experience.
“In a dorm, there’s so many people on your floor that, some of them, you don’t even know,” Olivero said. “In a Greek house, you already spend enough time there and you get to know everyone a lot faster.”
Isabella Felman, sophomore in LAS and internal social chair of Delta Zeta, currently lives in her sorority house. Felman expressed similar feelings about the topic.
“Living in, I know everyone in the house, so it’s a more comfortable atmosphere,” she said.
Like Alpha Chi Rho, Delta Zeta also requires members to live in the house for a year. Depending on the organization, one may have to live in the house for more than one year if they have an executive position.
Many of the Greek houses, including Alpha Chi Rho and Delta Zeta, are west of campus and closer to the hustle and bustle of Green Street.
“Everything’s in a very close circle,” Felman said about the location of her sorority house. “It’s hard to get out of that circle.”
Living in Greek houses is something that has always been a part of the culture, and some of those houses haven’t been renovated for a long time.
Alpha Chi Rho was built in 1921 and has remained in that same house since, whereas the Delta Zeta house was relocated and rebuilt in 2019.
When rebuilding the house, the house got additional wheelchair-accessible features. The new house includes entrance ramps and an elevator.
According to Olivero, there are some drawbacks to living in an older house. “During the winter … heaters in some of the rooms don’t work,” he said. “But we have space heaters that we got to solve that.”
The few drawbacks that might come with living in a Greek house tend to be overlooked when all of the benefits are laid out.
“I have enjoyed having the experience of truly living on my own and having to make my own decisions,” Olivero said. “It’s just more comfortable, like just being around people in your living Greek house.”
