Finance senior Andrea Thrubis wedged between her friends on the large wrap-around couch in the common room of Alpha Kappa Psi.
The room was filled with members of the coed business fraternity who had recently adjourned from their weekly meeting and were gathered around a box of cheese breadsticks from a local pizzeria.
“This is the best thing to happen to me all day,” Thrubis said, laughing as she reached for the food.
Alpha Kappa Psi, 123 Louis St., is the only coed business fraternity at MSU that has a house. Ten of the 46 chapter residents live in the house. Similar to the dozens of other MSU fraternities and sororities, its members live like a family. Together, they laugh, study and go out, all while trying to overcome the negative image often associated with greek living.
“There is always someone at home to talk to,” said Ann Dore, a hospitality business and merchandising management senior. “But if you need to do work, you still have the privacy of your own room.”
Accounting senior Mike McMahon was found relaxing in his room while Thrubis enjoyed food on the floor below. His living area, one of the biggest units in the building, boasted a sitting room, bedroom and bathroom.
“For 200 bucks a month, you can’t beat that,” he said.
The monthly rent includes all utilities except phone service, but the cheap rent isn’t the only perk.
Chapter president and marketing junior Mike Bissig said alumni often visit the house, which first opened in 1952. They’ve donated many items to the current members - such as one house favorite, a coveted Microsoft Xbox.
“All we did was tell them we bought a new TV,” Bissig said. “Suddenly we had an Xbox and games to go with it.”
Across town at Sigma Chi, 729 E. Grand River Ave., the floor of the fraternity’s basement party room still contained traces of sand from a previous Hawaiian-themed gala. But for many of the fraternity members, partying is not always on the agenda.
“Three years ago, everyone wanted to party,” finance senior Brian Damman said. “But half of us are upperclassmen. We’ve also got to look toward graduation.”
Sigma Chi will hold recruitment four times this year instead of the normal two. The second is set for the first weekend in November.
“Living here is unforgettable,” business and pre-law sophomore Marco Andric said.
The fraternity encountered problems last June when the East Lansing Housing Commission suspended its rental license because of various code violations. Since then, members have worked hard to get the house into good shape.
“We’re walking on eggshells,” Damman said.
The residence is startlingly neat. Its small clutter is just like that in any other college living environment - a copy of “Rolling Stone” with Keith Richards on the cover thrown on the floor of a bathroom, a few beer bottles in the hallway and a broken lock on the front door.
As evening approached, several fraternity members stood out on the front porch that overlooks Grand River Avenue. Their front lawn is a hot spot for Saturday football tailgating.
“People just come up off the street to tailgate with us,” Damman said.
Packaging sophomore Trevor Zimmerman said he enjoys the location of the house, which is a “two-minute walk to Jimmy John’s.”
And location isn’t its only amenity, as Sigma Chi members add special touches to their rooms.
Supply chain management senior Chris Lee lounged on a couch in his bedroom on the second floor, a room adorned with Ansel Adams photographs, a minibar and fridge.
“There’s always something going on,” Lee said. “You can’t expect it to always be quiet, but we have respect for each other.”
But regardless of each fraternity breaking the “Animal House” stereotype, neither are without tales from greek life.
“One day an alumnus came over with his son and was taking pictures in front of the house,” Bissig said. “We started talking, and I said, ‘Do you have any stories from when you were here?’
“He said, ‘Yeah, but I can’t tell them with my son around.’”
