NIU’s Greek Row area offers a housing alternative for students looking for more than dorm living.

Individuals interested in joining one of the organizations on Greek Row should know what is required of them in order to become members.

Greenbrier Road, Hillcrest Drive, Blackhawk Road, Edgebrook Drive, Ridge Drive, and Kimberly Drive make up the Greek Row area.

Apart from the Evans Scholars, houses on Greek Row are exclusively occupied by greek letter organizations. Residence in the houses is usually restricted to organization members, but some houses allow non-members to live there on a temporary basis.

Out of all the houses on Greek Row, Evans Scholars is the most exclusive. Evans Scholar Steve Sutryk said only those with scholarships awarded by the Western Golf Asociation are allowed to live in the Evans Scholars’ house.

Sutryk also said, “As long as members are covered by the WGA scholarship they are required to live in the house.”

“Our dues for the year are $800 to $900 and that covers rent, utilities and social events,” Sutryk said.

The Evans Scholars perform their own house maintenance and clean-ups. They have no kitchen in the house so members work at sororities in order to obtain meals, Sutryk said.

Greek organizations have different rules governing who may live in their houses and for how long.

Delta Phi Epsilon president Cyndi Flood said, “We always fill the house so we don’t make it mandatory for our members to live there.”

Delta Phi Epsilon members currently pay $1400 per semester to live in their house. Along with rent, the fee covers the cost of a cook, maid, house parents and the sorority’s social calendar.

“Our house parents are responsible for maintenance in and around the house,” Flood said.

Lambda Chi Alpha executive Steve Brach explained, “Our first priority is to fill the house so new members are encouraged to live in the house for two years.”

“There are exceptions to that, such as contracts with the dorms,” Brach said. “We don’t expect the guys to violate those (contracts).”

Brach said Lambda Chi Alpha members pay $1425 per semester, which covers rent, utilities and a catered food plan. However, the fee does not cover social dues.

Brach also stated maintenance in and around the house is performed by members of Lambda Chi.

Other organizations in the Greek Row area differ in their housing requirements. Factors like the size of their organizations and their national policies dictate what housing requirements they enforce.