by Maya Kaufman

Next year, 10 student organizations will occupy theme housing. It will be the first year of theme housing for Club Français, Kenyon Athletes for Equality and the Japanese Anime Society; the other organizations who will have theme housing in the 2014-2015 school year are the International Society at Kenyon, Buddhist and Yoga House, the Kenyon Bike Co-op, the KAC Heads, the Kenyon College Outdoors Club, ECO/PEAS and Kappa Sigma Alpha. Organizations with theme housing are given $50 per semester for the three to five events they are required to host. “[We ask ourselves], ‘Is there something, as a theme [house], that you can give to the community where there aren’t already other organizations doing the same thing?” Assistant Director for Housing and Residential Life Lisa Train said, regarding the theme housing selection process.

Theme housing offers many benefits for student organizations. Houda El Joundi ’16, president of the International Society at Kenyon said she liked theme housing because it allows organizations to have a strong presence on campus. “I think it’s very important for an international society to have a house,” El Joundi said. “As internationals, we all go through different phases trying to fit into the Kenyon community. … So it’s good to have a place where you can go and talk to people who have gone through similar things.”