The end of freshmen year became much more than a small milestone in my college career. I was still in good health, still managed to stay out of jail and still enrolled at the University. Life was good going into summer break. 

Summer break brings rapid change for college students. Normally surrounded by young adults with your same interests and hobbies, we are now thrust back into the “real world” full of little children and adults that still attempt to control our lives although we are on our own for nine months of the year. 

Many students work or go to summer school and long to be back with friends, sisters and brothers. Others are excited to move in to an apartment and have their own room to do whatever they please. A personal bubble that is in full control of the owner. I, on the other hand, was looking forward to living with 35 fraternity brothers under one roof. What would happen throughout the semester was clueless to me and all 35 of my roommates.

Move-in day was one of the best of the semesters. After going through the fraternity process together and going our separate ways for the summer, it was nice to all be back together to do all the meaningless, sometimes questionable activities. Guys would help each other move-in and everyone spent the weekend getting settled and enjoying a few celebratory drinks while pondering how the semester was going to be. 

Once classes rolled around, the house was chaotic. The semester was in full swing. As tests and quizzes began to pile up along with extracurricular activities and organizations, cleanliness began to go down the list of important topics. Walking through the house, you’d see a pile of lunch sitting on the table begging to be thrown away, people’s clothes just lying on the ground, and the heap of what seemed to be like a whole year’s worth of mail. 

As Volunteer game days began, the house went from spotless to a pig sty in a matter of hours (but usually looked worse after a Vols loss). The house was the center of the fraternity park tailgates and seemed to be the garbage can as well. 

Social events and parties thrown quickly made living in the house difficult because of the constant traffic moving throughout our halls. Restrooms: clogged. Showers: dirty. Trash cans: overflowing. Somehow there was still a division between “I don’t give a shit” and “We need to clean this place” among the in-house brothers. Luckily, my fraternity hires a custodian to clean once a week, but even he doesn’t get this place spotless and I do not blame him.

Despite the many difficulties living with 35 men and being the center of the party entails, I am very grateful for the chance to spend my sophomore year in a fraternity house. When do you get the chance to spend time under the same roof with 35 of your closest friends? When will you have someone in your room or anyone living with you the chance to help you through any situation? When will you be as comfortable with the people you live with? I am thankful for my experience in this fraternity house, and will cherish the memories made in it. So much so that I ran for a position in the fraternity and got it, requiring me to live in the house as a junior. This time I will be prepared for whatever it may bring.