Fraternity Homes at Santa Clara University

One of the most mysterious places of our natural world is the fraternity home. As a contested site of public memory, the fraternity home represents very different things to separate audiences. This exhibit will explore these different representations.

On the right, there is a tab for each audience. 

National and Past: Generally, what does a fraternity house mean to the country. If you search the depths of Google Scholar or have conversations with random pools of people around America, what are the conceptions of this animal house, this zoo of testosterone? The school's past experiences and decisions surrounding Greek life can fall into this category as well, for they coalign with the connotations of fraternity houmes on the national and overall level.

Local: The Santa Clara University student body lives and breathes Greek life. On a quick walk through campus, you're guaranteed to walk past a girl that boasts a "Rush DG" shirt or a Sig Pi pledge dressed to the nine in their blue suit and red tie. What does the student body think about fraternity houses? What are the young and educated perceptions of the home?

Private: Believe it or not, I live in a fraternity house myself. The perceptions of the home for those that live within it are vastly different than everyone elses. For us, we expect it to be a private space, where we shower, clean, eat, and sleep.

Each audiences perception contradicts the other and because of that, the fraternity home is a contested site of public memory. The conflicting views and meanings end up inhibiting the uses of the home for those that live in it. Enjoy the exhibit!