MONDAY, DECEMBER 9. 2002
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 8A
There 's no place like home
This is the true story, of eleven young adults, who picked a University, and had their lives examined by a reporter. Find out what happens when they've moved out on their own , and start living for real.
Story by Louise Stauffer ● Photos by Eric Braem
The Real World jokes aside, what follows is a sampling of students who have chosen different places to live. Where they live affects how they live their lives.
Many students want to leave eliques and comfort zones in high school, along with sneaking out of the house late at night and forging sick notes. But many people end up choosing lifestyles in college that ensure they are living with people just like themselves.
Jack Brehm, professor of psychology, said people had a tendency to like others that are similar to themselves, especially in regards to general values like religion.
"There are cultural differences that people become accustomed to." he said.
Find out the differences, big and small, between available living situations in college; a sorority, a scholarship hall, a dorm, a commune, and a downtown house.
Birds of a feather.
Evan Lance, Shawnee sophomore has lived in the Sunflower House, 1406 Tennessee St., since September. Lance said if he's not at class or work, he's at home with his 30 other housemates enjoying the large number of politicallyactive people in the house.
Lance described the political views of most house members, including himself, as being "pretty liberal."
Brian Mitchell, Lawrence resident, lives in the Sunflower house as well. But he said he finds some flaws with life in the house.
Although he enjoys the cheap cost of living,he feels out of place socially.
"I'm not in the core circle of
people who hang out here," he said. "There's definitely cliques."
But Mitchell said that he did not come to the house to make friends. He moved there because of the cost
is rarely home, and when he is, he spends time in his room, he said.
On-campus living has a more inclusive nature.
Stephen
"I'm not in the core circle of people who hang out
Deaver, Olathe senior, has lived in the Battenfeld Scholarship Hall, 1425 Alumni Place, since he was a freshman. He said he liked the sense of community the scholarship hall provides.
Deaver said he had an equal number of friends in and out of scholarship halls. Those who live elsewhere he knows from high school or other campus organizations.
Scholarship halls, like fraternities and sororities, have social functions exclusive to their group. But Deaver said there was one big difference between the greek system and scholarship halls; money.
"It's a class thing," he said. "Fraternities tend to appeal to those who can afford them."
Abby Randall, Omaha junior, lives in the Sigma Kappa house, 1325 West Campus Rd. Many of her friends aren't in sororities, but she said she had to make an effort to keep friends that live outside of her sorority.
"I think I'm lucky to have a
good balance," she said
Randall acknowledged that some girls only had friends in the sorority.
Jacob Neece, Topeka freshman and Templin Hall, 1515 Engle Rd. resident, said most of his friends live in residence halls. That's who he is always surrounded with, he said.
completely on their own, their social life is up to them.
"I always hang out with the same dorm people," he said.
For Courtney Kaytis, Willamantie, Conn., senior, there are no organizations ensuring social
here. There's definitely cliques."
Brian Mitchell Lawrence resident
work, or previous roommates.
House Rules
Living in a house means she has to find all her friends on her own. Besides her two rooms, she said her friends were from school.
Some people feel lost or uncomfortable without rules or structure, said Brehm. That might correlate with whether one grew up with strict parents or lenient ones.
But on campus, all housing has rules. For example, no alcohol is allowed on campus; so for the dorms, scholarship halls, fraternities and sororites, drinking is either done in secret or not at all.
Randall said she was glad that alcohol wasn't allowed in the house. She said with 69 other house mates, things could get out of control if drinking was allowed.
Off campus, the rules about alcohol and drugs are more ambiguous.
"It would just be nuts," she said.
When students live
One of the problems this semester was loud music. Because they all had to get up early some days, Kaytis said she and her roommates figured out a way to let each other know when the music had to be turned down.
When problems arise at her home on Rhode Island street, Kaytis said she and her roommates hold "family meetings".
In the Sunflower House, the goal is to keep the cops out, Lance said.
And of course, house money cannot be spent on alcohol.
When one house member has to get up early, they make it known on the chart, so the others know not to blast the speakers.
"We made a chart of music loudness," she said.
Kaytis and her roommates also decided on chore duties. Hers is sweeping, while the other two take care of cleaning the bathroom and the kitchen.
Brian Mitchell, Lawrence resident, practices his guitar in his pint-sized room in the Sunflower House, 1406 Tennessee St.
Although they're all considered adults, Sigma Kappa members have a rule that no male is normally allowed upstairs. Randall said that if there was an exception, such as a maintenance man, "man on floor" must be yelled to warn the girls. Men are allowed in the public areas of the house.
Let's Talk About Sex
"That's why a lot of girls don't sleep here, they're at their bovriends," she said.
Stephanie Swenson, Concordia junior and Sigma Kappa member, said at first she found the rule frustrating, but it controlled potential problems.
In the dorms and men's scholarship halls, there are no rules about girls in the bedroom, except clearing it with your roommate.
Deaver said he and the other scholarship hall guys dated women who lived in scholarship halls as well.
Neece and his roommates made two rules. One was no sex in the room. So far, the agreement has not been broken, he said. The other rule was to clean every Sunday.
"It's definitely true we date more girls in school halls," he said. "We're more likely tohavesimilar interests."
It's the same at the Sunflower House.
But even if a relationship ends, people need to be able to work together, she said. Communication on household matters is necessary, even if you just broke up.
"It's hard when you're sharing bills," she said.
Stephen Deaver
Olathe senior
McMullen-Baker said she had experienced good and bad times with dating people in the house.
Dennis Dailey, professor of social welfare, said students should not exercise any unusual caution when deciding whether
"Right now there's three house couples," she said.
Astrid McMullen-Baker, house manager of the Sunflower House, said that residents tend to date each other.
"It's definitely more girls in. We're more likely to have similar interests."
Randall and her two roommates at Sigma Kappa share a room, alone time is scarce.
Alone Time
to date someone they lived with.
"In that same proximity, you experience all of the discomforts associated with terminating a relationship," he said.
"You should nurture relationships you're intrigued with," he said.
Dailey said the close living quarters that once seemed great, can become a problem once the relationship ends.
In Kaytis' house, there are no
"We get a lot of each other in this little room," said her roommate Tia Goodwin, Coffeyville sophomore.
"It's definitely true we date more girls in schol halls.
Fall 2002: Where students live?
Sororities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715
Fraternities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 853
Private residence hall . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Parent's home in city . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Apartment/duplex . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,022
Single family dwelling . . . . . . . . . 1,094
Roaming house . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Total-Other Housing . . . . . . . . . . 15,404
In Tem-
Source: Office of Institutional Research and Planning
Gaps between schedules allow for privacy during the day, Marriott said.
Randall said the easiest way for her to be alone was to escape into a nap.
Fall 2002. Where students live:
Residence Halls ... 3,231
Family student apartments ... 280
Scholarship halls ... 484
Single student housing ... 733
Total-University Housing ... 4,728
and drink and not associated with anyone who isn't greek, she said.
For those who have their own room, alone time is easy to come by.
plin, Neece said he liked having other roommates around, it gave him something to do. He said he never needed time to himself.
All Evan and Kaytis have to do s shut their doors.
Goodwin said she did not tell anyone she was in a house unless they asked. She does not want people to think of her as a typical sorority girl, she said.
Where you live may mean you're living with a label that others give you.
Marriott said without Sigma Kappa, college would have been a repeat of high school. She said she would be hanging out with the same crowd she did back then.
Labels
Randall said when she told someone she's in a sorority, the perception of her changed.
"I just think the typical stereotype is a sorority girl is someone who just wants to go out
Fall2002costperyear
Fall 2002 cost per year
Templein Hall
$3,188 (not including meal plan), with
meal plan: 15 meals a week, $2,076
additional per academic year or $586
per month
Battetfield Scholarship Hall
$3,168 (includes meal plan) or $352 per
month
Sigma Kappa house
Room and board; $3600, dues are $ 400
or $444 per month
Sunflower House
In her house, Kaytis said she was labeled the "queen bee," of the three roommates. That is
Edited by Chris Wintering
Each semester brings a new crop of freshman who have to decide for themselves how they are going to live. Whether the choice is a house with 70 other women, or a single bedroom apartment, college is a time where they will get to choose exactly what they want. And who they want to be.
The stereotype of scholarship hall residents is that they are smart and studious, but that it isn't always the case, Deaver said.
because of her tendency to keep things going and to take charge of house problems.
"It's because I keep the house running," she said. "Like an army sergeant."
Brian Mitchell pays $180/month plus groceries, Evan pays $198/month (have
yet to find out why he p,
equiv) each pays
around $40/month
for groceries
House on Rhode
Island
Kaytis and her
roommates pay
$400/month plus $150 in
utilities, they all buy
their own groceries.