Geographies of Scheele: On-Campus Housing and the Sorority Landscape at Valparaiso University

Level of Education of Students Involved

Undergraduate

Faculty Sponsor

Mike Longan

College

College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)

Discipline(s)

Geography, Cultural Geography

ORCID Identifier(s)

0009-0000-1920-1302

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Symposium Date

Spring 4-24-2025

Abstract

This paper focuses on the sorority experience at Valparaiso University in order to reveal how traditional gender roles and expectations influenced housing disparities and geographies that still exist today. From their inception, collegiate fraternities and sororities have fostered a sense of place, personal development opportunities, increased retention for universities, and other social benefits that are unique to each member. While they serve similar purposes, they are governed by separate rules and expectations, resulting in vastly different experiences. Sorority culture at Valparaiso University diverged from other schools in the early 1960s when the sororities collectively moved into Scheele Hall, an on-campus dormitory. Designating Scheele Hall as the home for Valparaiso University’s sororities initiated a paradigm shift in the culture of sorority life that is still embodied today. As a symbol of Greek life, Scheele Hall facilitated visibility, leadership, and community that made Valparaiso University’s sorority life real and helped keep the culture alive for over a century. Today, the physical and cultural geography of Valparaiso University is changing. Mid-twentieth-century buildings are aging, enrollment demographics are shifting, and the liberal arts curriculum is weakening. These changes will culminate in university-wide cultural changes, which will undoubtedly impact the institution’s role in the sorority complex’s landscape. Therefore, the future of sorority life is dependent on the culture wars being fought today.

Biographical Information about Author(s)

Kindra Stetzel ('25) is an undergraduate student studying Geography and Environmental Studies, and a Christ College Scholar.

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