Featured House: Alpha Beta – University of Illinois House

New Location Brings New Opportunities 

Read full article in THE LAMP Winter 2019

By: Sophia Morano, Alpha Beta–Illinois 

On August 17, 2019, 50 members of the Alpha Beta Chapter at the University of Illinois arrived back on campus with a new home awaiting them. Construction and decoration of their new space concluded only the previous day, and anticipation of the house and all its surprises had been building in members for over a year. It didn’t take long, however, for members to fall in love with the beauty of the house and become enchanted by the modern décor. They were all were eager to explore every new detail of the house.

“I love [living in] the new house because it aligns with the personality of our chapter much better than our previous house did,” said Maddy Gates, a junior member who also had the opportunity to live in Alpha Beta’s old home on West Ohio Street. “I am able to spend time with my sisters in every part of the house, whether it’s studying in one of our study rooms, watching a movie in the TV room, or doing our hair and makeup together at the hallway vanity.”  

Though cozy and quaint, the previous chapter house was a far walk from classes and the heart of campus life. The chapter was also outgrowing the house, struggling to fit members into the kitchen for weekly pasta dinners and chapter meetings. The new location not only gives them more space to meet the growing chapters’ needs but will also help with their recruitment in future years, as the house is more centrally located to other sororities. Though it was difficult to say goodbye to the house they loved, it was time for a new home to accommodate the current needs of its members.  

Among the standout features that are upgrades from other chapter houses on campus include wheelchair accessibility. The new Delta Zeta house is only the second wheelchair-accessible sorority house on the University of Illinois’ campus with features including an elevator, entrance ramps, and suite on the first floor

The exterior is graced by six iconic columns that symbolize our six founding members and a carefully designed interior including makeup vanities, study rooms, and two cozy living rooms. Each room of the new home contains homages to both Delta Zeta’s history and the previous chapter house, from canvases with phrases from the Creed hanging in each hallway to the piano in the foyer. 

“My favorite part of our new location is the grand staircase at the entrance with the beautiful marble floors,” said current Chapter President Brianna Brodeur. “The house has endless areas to hang out and study, which is something we didn’t have at our old location. With the additional space, the house has really turned into a home for our chapter to all enjoy together.” 

As they close their first semester living in their new home, the members of Alpha Beta look forward to their chapter’s bright future and all the memories yet to be forged in the beautiful new house.