A small and often unrecognized housing option on campus, theme houses provide small groups of students with shared interests with a unique opportunity to work toward a common goal. This year, the office of residence life made an effort to call attention to the three houses available for theme living, and the effort seems to have worked. In comparison to last year's three applications, the office was pleased to receive eight last month. Shager said he believes that the increased advertising is the primary reason for the number of responses. However, he admitted, there could be a connection between an increased number of independent first-year students and the higher demand for the housing option.
Alternative housing is the only option other than dormitory living for non-greek sophomores.
Two groups that applied were composed entirely of first-year students, and several others were of mixed classes. In order to choose the winning applicants, the office of residence life formed an evaluation committee. The committee reviewed all applications for adherence to the selection criteria. The Spanish, Hapa, and Fine Arts groups best met the criteria. The Spanish theme house will be composed of students interested in advancing their Spanish skills and sharing the language with the community.