Ask most WU students why there are no sorority houses on campus, and they will probably respond by saying that a state law prohibits many girls from living together in one house, because such a situation constitutes a brothel.
While that is the conventional wisdom, it is entirely untrue.
“It’s an urban legend,” said Karin Johnes, the director of Greek Life.
She went on to explain that when Small Group Housing was in its planning stages, the Women’s Panhellenic Council was even approached about the possibility of creating sorority houses.
“The women had been surveyed, and they had said that there was no interest in persuing houses,” said Johnes.
The main reason that the women were opposed to the idea of sorority houses was the fact that they enjoy the freedom to live with women in other sororities and with those who choose not to join any sorority.
“Not having sorority houses on campus is one thing that I love about being in a sorority here. It allows people to have friends within their sorority, but also make outside friendships with people in other sororities and people not involved in Greek Life,” said Meredith Cohen, vice president of the Women’s Panhellenic Council.
Johnes added that many of the sorority members “liked that they did not have any obligations of filling a house, having the financial constraints of a house, and that they liked living with members of other sororities as well as with someone who might not be in a sorority.”
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