Harvard vs. Yale
Sigma Nu
For two years during my graduate studies at Yale University I rented a room inside the Sigma Nu fraternity house. It was strictly for undergraduate male Yale students who were a part of the fraternity. But due to the filthy and decaying condition of the house many parents of the Brothers forbid their sons to live there. In desperation due to the need to rent all of their rooms out, I was granted permission to live in theSigma house (making me the only woman living there). Before it had fallen victim to the fraternity, this home had been a beautiful Victorian mansion. But every day I would awaken to the aftermath of senseless acts of destruction and find a newly transformed house from the night before. I was always astonished at the lengths and creativity the boys would go through to destroy it. Some mornings I would awaken to the Brothers passed out in their own vomit. Other times—in fact at any and all hours of the night -- they would summon me to rise and make photographs of themselves running through the halls naked or lighting things on fire. I was constantly amazed to find that no matter what their background or breeding they were still utter slobs, temporarily afflicted with amnesia regarding anything to do with decorum. And yet, oddly, throughout all of this mayhem I found that there was an underlying true love and intimacy the boys shared with each other-----underneath all of their bravado they could be vulnerable and deeply caring individuals. The big surprise was that these man-children were, somehow, coming into their own.