Residence Halls Get Religion

[rug]

Students move into the new faith-based fraternity at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. (Troy Fedderson, University of Nebraska at Lincoln)

August 28, 2013
By Allie Grasgreen

The new Phi Kappa Theta fraternity house at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln is exclusive: it only houses students who are members of the Roman Catholic Church.

The fraternity – on private property that is considered part of campus, but opened, owned and operated by the St. John’s Catholic Newman Center at the university – is already filled to capacity, with about 65 beds claimed. The fraternity itself has existed for a half-dozen years, but this is the first time its members have enjoyed their own housing.

“That’s been the remarkable thing, is that even without the living space, there has been this demand,” Nebraska Dean of Students Matt Hecker said.

Nebraska is one of several public and private universities that are adding various forms of faith-based housing. This fall alone, new residences are also opening up at Florida Institute of Technology, Troy University and Texas A&M University at Kingsville. Another, at Purdue University, is slated to open within the next few years. (Others, including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, have offered such housing for quite a while.)

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/28/new-religious-dorms-part-faith-based-housing-trend

[warrant46]

1. How abourt a Muslim Greek House? Or will be Satanists or Wiccans be allowed to form their own Houses

I don't think Nebraska would allow this

[rug]

2. In principle, they would have to.

Here's some research on Muslim college students. If this trend continues, a Muslim dorm would answer the questions raided here.

http://www.scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/jiuspa/article/view/1936

[MADem]

3. Who named that fraternity? Good grief!

I'm way past my college years, but a fraternity that is, in essence F--K --T, brings to my mind "F...K iT!!!"

I suppose fraternities are groups that gather for their own purposes; getting drunk and puking on the lawn, "nerd frats," frats that are organized on racial or cultural affiliations....why not religious ones?

Do they actually get members, though--that's the question!

[rug]

5. Lol!

Phi Kappa and Theta Kappa Phi merged over 50 years ago and this is what you get.

JFK and Eugene McCarthy were members.

[MADem]

7. Ha ha!

You do see that my observation isn't out of left field, though, ya?

I fear that we won't get many Democratic stalwarts out of that place in the near future--the intolerant attitude of the Catholic Church on issues of Equality and Choice have driven a lot of the "D" Team off, unfortunately.

Maybe Brown Shoe Francis who cooks his own meals can turn that business around. He talks alot about charitable works, and Republicans don't like to expend any effort without getting their greed on.

[rug]

10. I do. I genuinely thought it was a funny comment.

I'm not much of a fan of fraternities in the first place. Or of intolerance either, from any quarter.

[HereSince1628]

4. I remember the Baptist Stud--- Center at SIU

For some reason that no one could figure out, the letters "ent" just wouldn't stay on the building.

[rug]

6. That was at Southern Illinois University?

[HereSince1628]

11. Yes

[MADem]

8. Hilarious!!!!! nt

[rexcat]

12. Would that be SIU - Carbondale?

I was a Gamma Delta Iota (god damn independent).

[HereSince1628]

14. Yes. SIU Carbon-de-lay

The Baptist Stud Center was at the west edge of Campus at the time...along Lincoln Drive. I think that part of campus has since been called the Northwest Annex...

[rexcat]

15. I graduated SIU -Carbondale...

August 1981. I was a student there for one year, a transfer student from UCF (Orlando, FL). I took 42 semester hours that year and was working full time in a clinical lab in S. Illinois. Got the degree and got the hell out of there.

[HereSince1628]

17. I was lucky, for me it was the right place at the right time

for my education.

[rexcat]

19. Don't get me wrong...

I liked SIU but the surrounding area had much to be desired!!!!

[HereSince1628]

20. I can't really complain about that either...

I was a zoology student with interests in natural places and old-timey music. Back in the late 70's and early 80's 'the surrounding area' offered me quite a lot.

[cbayer]

9. It's got to be an improvement over your traditional greek house.

Good for them and glad to see other kinds of housing developing as well.

[rexcat]

13. It will have the tendency to...

isolate the people who live at the house. The object of university, IMO, is to broaden one's horizons, both academically and socially. I don't see that happening in this situation.

[cbayer]

16. I think there are times when it is appropriate to live with people who share some things with you.

There are generally lots of opportunities for doing that. There are single sex, artist/musician, no drug/alcohol, abstinence, GLBT and many other kinds of housing options in or around most universities. Even if you don't choose one of those, kids generally gravitate towards the dorms or apartments that house those they most relate to. This is no different.

And sororities/fraternities generally epitomize these, with very questionable lines being drawn down racial and class lines.

I agree that one object of university is to broaden one's horizons, but that doesn't have to include living in the same room with them.

Would you object to a non-believer house?

[rexcat]

18. I object to all things Greek...

on campuses but you have to understand that I spent four years in the military (low draft number) and when I returned to college I had had enough of being told how to think, what to wear, etc. and the frat thing did not appeal to me. I always thought the Greeks on campus were shallow. I was there to get an education and to enjoy the experience, which I did.

And yes I would object to a "non-believer" frat house on campus just like I object to religious houses on campus. Too much there for discriminatory practices.

[cbayer]

21. I also object to the greek organizations and specifically chose a school without them.

But I wasn't limiting this to frat houses, necessarily.