DeKALB | The Honors House, an on-campus housing option for eligible students, offers many exclusive benefits for its residents.

The Honors House, located in the C-wing of Douglas Hall, has five quiet and modified-quiet lifestyle floors. Each floor has computers and printers for residents’ use.

In the past, honors students have been offered discounted or free trips to Navy Pier, Broadway Theatre, Blue Man Group and the Second City comedy club.

Some of the on-campus activities include guest speakers, discussions on career-related topics and leadership development activities. Upcoming events that have already been planned include financial seminars, game nights and requested programming from survey results that were done in January.

Residents of the Honors House also have access to the Honors Lounge, which comes fully equipped with a wide-screen TV with DVD, VHS and cable hook-ups. It also has a pool table, two dartboards, a piano, additional computers, additional printers and a selection of board games.

Senior marketing major Stephanie Lee has chosen to live in the Honors House for the last three years.

“It’s cool because you are able to meet a lot of other honor students who have similar or the same interests,” she said.

Everyone living in the Honors House has the same focus – getting a good education – said Roseann Feldmann, the program coordinator for the Honors Program.

In the past, only a certain number of returning students could live in the Honors House, but now any student eligible for Honors can return. This was changed to help build more of a community and because it’s hard to fill all five floors with just honors students, Feldmann said.

“Two of my goals are to build community in each of the floors in the Honors House, so students are excited to return each year,” Feldmann said. “And my second goal is to meet the programming needs that were expressed in the survey that honors students responded to in January.”

To apply, students must turn in their housing application and check the appropriate box for the Honors House in the lifestyle preferences. They also must turn an Academic Residential Program application into Housing and Dining. Participants of the Honors Program get first priority, while previous residents get first choice.

Any other openings are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.