If you open up a new internet tab and Google “Housing Groups” you will quickly become confused about what a Housing Group is and if it is what Google says it is (which it must be, Google is never wrong) then I am sure you are wondering why I am currently writing a blog about them as a student at Grove City College. To clear the air, no I am not writing about either a) any of the various companies that came up in your Google search with the words “Housing Groups” in their name or b) Housing associations (which if you were wondering are private, non-profit organizations in Ireland and the United Kingdom that provide low-cost “social housing,” according to Wikipedia).
So, if these Housing Groups that I write of are neither a nor b, then what are they and how are they relevant to Grove City College? Housing Groups here at Grove City College are campus recognized groups which provide the males on campus a way to serve both students and the community and also allow them the opportunity of fellowship and brotherhood. A bit more simplified way of saying this is that Housing Groups are similar to fraternities in that they are a group whom live together on campus, but they differ in that they are both less expensive, generally, and they do not require their rushes to go through Greek Unity Week.
I, myself, am in the Housing Group known as Sigma Phi Omicron. On campus we are known as the Crons. In being a member of the Cron Housing Group, I have participated in putting on multiple Omicron Lawns (a tailgate event that we put on before a Grove City College football game every year), Grove City College Family Feuds (a campus wide Family Feud-like event where people can come and watch or participate as part of a group), and have helped set up and run at least a half dozen blood drives on campus.
In being a member I have spent the past two and a half years with the group. Aside from the events and service we have done as a group, we also are highly involved in one another’s personal lives. We do the small things from getting meals together and Thursday wing nights at Rachel’s Roadhouse to planned group events like weekly Bible studies and Cron worship. Other perks of Housing Groups that I have observed include connections. A personal experience that I have is while at the most recent Grove City College career fair I spoke with an alumnus from the Sigma Phi Omicron Housing Group which led to further interviews and in turn supplied me with an internship offer.
All of this said, being part of a Housing Group has helped me grow as an individual both spiritually and physically and has supplied me with the opportunity to form lasting and growing relationships. In joining a Housing Group or any group on campus, you are able to find your place on campus. The Sigma Phi Omicron Housing Group just happened to be my place, but as a perspective student and a possible future student I encourage you to explore your options and to find yourself!
