Senior Henderson Jones lives in Maxwell House, but he's never paid any dues. That's because Jones, like almost 200 of his peers at Duke, is an independent who lives in a fraternity or selective house.
And while selective living groups may have a reputation for hosting loud parties and being bad neighbors, independents are mixed in their assessment of the arrangement.
Currently, 178 unaffiliated or independent students live in selective living group or fraternity sections, said assistant dean of student development Bill Burig. Among those students, 69 are men living in fraternity sections, and 109 are students living in selective houses--67 men, 42 women.
Burig noted the data is imperfect because there is no way to tell how many independents are "friends of the house," invited by a group to live in its section without actually becoming a member.
Jones said he has been pleased with his experience in Maxwell and that he has become friendly with the sophomores living on his floor.
Notably, Maxwell typically takes the unusual step of offering its independent residents temporary membership, said president Kevin Chu, a senior. One to two students accept the offer each year, he said.
But, for Jones and his roommate, senior Beau Daane, Maxwell membership was not worth it. "I saw it as a ploy to get my money as I didn't know them," Jones said.
Still, the living situation has worked-out, he said.
Jones added that there is a big difference between living as an independent in a selective house and a fraternity.
Sophomore Jonas Swartz, an independent living in the Sigma Nu fraternity section, said he would consider living in a fraternity section again, if it provided the best location and room size available. Still, he is not without his complaints.
"I think selective living groups feel a level of entitlement to their house," he said. In his experience, Swartz said fraternity members often waited for the housekeeping staff to clean up after parties. He recalled one incident in which a housekeeper pulled the fire alarm at 7:30 a.m. because the section was so messy.
Noise has also been an issue. "The really late-night noise--4 a.m. heavy bass--is inconsiderate not only to independents but to brothers," he said.
Junior Jeremy Morgan, president of Sigma Nu and Interfraternity Council president, acknowledged fraternity lifestyle is different from that of independents.
"I will be the first to admit that [messiness after a party] is an inconvenience, but having these types of events adds to the social life and fun on campus," he said. Morgan noted that independents in Sigma Nu are all on the third floor and share a separate bathroom. He added that the fraternity gives unaffiliated residents advanced notice of upcoming events.
"We try to be as considerate as possible so that any inconvenience that results from living in our section is outweighed by the benefits of living with our selective group," he said.
But some independents living in fraternities were less critical. "I have no complaints," said junior David Lang, an independent in Theta Chi fraternity section. "As long as everyone is respectful, I'm fine living in [section], and that has been the case."
Former IFC President Michael Wick said independents in selective houses can also be problematic for selective residents. "I think it can be disappointing for students to be living around a lot of people that aren't part of the selective house or fraternity that they've joined," he said. "Obviously members would much rather live around other members of their fraternity than those not in the fraternity."
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