Theme Houses

Art Haus

44 Howard St.

Academic-Based House

Art Haus is a place where artists of all media can express themselves and interact with other artists. The goal is to maintain a community centered around art appreciation that is dedicated to helping the arts flourish at Wheaton.

Davis House

7/9 Howard St.

Identity-Based House

Davis House was generously renovated by Diana Davis Spencer in 2009. The house strives to embody the values that founded the UWC Movement, namely: intercultural understanding, civic responsibility and leadership. Each semester, Davis House accepts applications from all Wheaton students, international or American, for whom those ideas resonate. Exceptional campus leaders, students passionate about issues of social justice, and those interested in engaging with cultures and perspectives from all over the world will find a home here.

ECCO House

9 Taunton

Interest-Based House

Living in ECCO (Environmentally Conscious Community Oriented) House means living in a space with like-minded individuals who prioritize environmental sustainability in everyday life. All of the house members work to conserve energy, recycle, compost, and save water in order to live out the mission of the house. Through these actions, ECCO House has created a place for environmental activism to exist not only within the students who live there but for other Wheaton students and even members of the Norton community who share the same passion for nature.

Emerson Feminist Perspective

Emerson Hall

Identity-Based House

The Emerson Feminist Perspectives House was founded in 1994 with the purpose of creating a safe environment and community for self-identified women interested in feminist ideologies. Members are encouraged to broaden their understanding and perspective of feminism by learning about the intersectionality present in women’s personal experiences, engaging in discussion, supporting and encouraging other women, and applying feminist knowledge to a variety of topics. Emerson House’s further objective is to develop programming on campus, both within the house and to the greater Wheaton community in order to prompt discussion regarding feminist values and issues.

Farm House

Guest House

Interest-Based House

Farm House unites those dedicated to bringing small-scale sustainable agriculture to the Wheaton campus. Potential residents have committed themselves to the WheaFarm project and will serve as the core group involved in the design, cultivation and maintenance of Wheaton College’s community garden. House members have a collective interest in the Real Food movement, an initiative to equalize access to nutrient-dense, whole foods, and reduce consumption of highly refined grains and sugars across all economic classes and racial/ethnic groups. The house mission centers on building a community of educated eaters both on campus and beyond.

First Generation House

22 Howard

Identity-Based House

The purpose of First Gen House is to create a space for students who are first in their families to pursue a bachelor’s degree, and/or from low-income backgrounds. Residents encourage and support each other through the unique difficulties and obstacles they face. Wheaton is a private residential college, and predominantly white institution. Many first-generation and low-income students have expressed a feeling of disconnection from their community on campus, as well as anxiety about their ability to find students more similar to themselves. The First Gen House supports a pipeline system of mentorship and connection with the Brave, Bold & First (BBF) Living Learning Community for first-year, first-generation students on campus.

The development of these communities and support systems on campus reflect the students’ desires to celebrate and support students with this shared identity. In order to further extend this community, the First Gen House provides an available space for theses students to interact and maintain relationships cultivated through the BBF Living Learning Community, The Center for Social Justice and Community Impact, and all of their programs and events, or other academic and professional interests.

Hungry Lyons

26/28 Taunton

Interest-Based House

Hungry Lyons House serves to provide a residential space for like-minded students committed to raising awareness of hunger issues in the local community and on a global scale. From consciousness-raising to active roles in community programs on and off campus, Hungry Lyons House acts as one of the main interfaces between the Wheaton campus and local residents facing adversity in regards to food insecurity, nutrition and education.

Interfaith House

Keefe Suite

Identity-Based House

Interfaith House’s mission is to encourage both interfaith and intercultural dialogue and interfaith and intercultural living, not only among students from different religious backgrounds, but also between students from religious and non-religious backgrounds, including those who consider themselves “spiritual but not religious.” Interfaith House strives to create a culture not just of tolerance, but of mutual respect and understanding.

Interfaith house will see out this mission in four ways: first, through collaborative programming that promotes religious literacy on campus. Second, by working with the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and the Religion Department by attending, planning, providing logistical help, and outreach for their programs. Third, Interfaith House will partner with and work for those on campus facing religious, sexual, racial, or gender based bias, as people from all faith backgrounds can agree it is imperative that we take care of one another. Lastly, Interfaith House is committed to making meals together, celebrating holidays together, and maintaining a welcoming and attractive physical space together. By engaging in the micro-practices of everyday life, these students make a home together that promotes our values and mission.

MAD House

27 Pine (Bittersweet)

Academic-Based House

Media-Arts Discourse (MAD) House is a space for Film and New Media Studies majors as well as other students interested in the exploration of film, arts, and the current media landscape. The house serves as a means of creating a community with or around media and arts, as well as the discourse surrounding these areas of interest, through events and activities. Members seek to create a hub for those sharing their interests and to act as community builders. They seek to exemplify the ways in which the arts can build community, and how topical discourses can be pushed to a cultural forefront through the use of all forms of media and digital culture.

Ohm Initiative

White House

Academic and Identity-Based House

The Ohm Initiative was formed with the intention to strive for a more inclusive community within the STEM field, and specifically relates to individuals with marginalized or under represented identities. As a house, they encourage academic excellence and creativity in rigorous professional fields, as well as focusing on engaging the Wheaton community in all facets of excellence in the face adversity.

Outdoors House

17 Pine (Elms)

Interest-Based House

Outdoors House is a communal living environment that aims to foster a profound appreciation for all things woodsy and wild. In order to live in the house, each member must be an active participant in the Outdoors Club and must willing and able to lead trips every semester. By living together in the house, members ensure that there are weekly adventures open to the community. These trips greatly enrich the Wheaton College experience by helping students get off campus, explore, meet new people, and gain valuable outdoors experience.

Renaissance House

1/3 Howard

Identity-Based House

Renaissance House serves as a platform for social responsibility, academic excellence, and to initiate programs that will elevate the voices of femmes of color. Historically, Renaissance House has been a themed house that focuses on representing women of color, and we will expand to include all femmes of color. We, the residents of Renaissance House, have worked to shed light on domestic and global issues that have an impact on the femmes of color in our communities. Through a variety of programming, we will continue to increase campus awareness regarding the intersection between culture, gender and race and how this affects our everyday experiences. Although the campus climate continuously shifts at Wheaton, one thing remains the same: our issues and our everyday struggles.

SAFE Haüs

17/19 Howard

Identity-Based House

The LGBTQ+ SAFE Haüs stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, & Asexual, Sexuality Affirmation and Freedom of Expression Haüs. This house on campus is an open resource for LGBTQ+ students to use as a space to hang out and build their own community on Wheaton’s campus. House members strive to make LGBTQ+ topics included in conversations and help make maintain inclusivity, pride and acceptance on campus.

SOHLs House

46/48 East Main

Identity-Based House

The Student Org of Hispanics and Latinos (SOHLs) house works toward immersing the Wheaton campus in Latin American/Hispanic culture. Residents organize events and activities aimed at demonstrating various cultural aspects of Latin America and the broader Hispanic community. The house also exposes fellow students to a Latin American/Hispanic perspective of the world, while  fostering an individualized academic interest in Latin American studies.

House members want to provide a “home away from home” for Hispanic, Latino and non-Hispanic/Latino students alike, who are interested in living in a diverse and welcoming environment. As SOHL House, members aspire to accurately and respectfully reflect Latin American/Hispanic diversity, while showcasing to fellow students the exciting opportunities available in the Latin American/Hispanic world.

Tulip House

25 Pine (Lindens)

Interest and Identity-Based House

Tulip House is focused on the prevention of, healing from, and advocacy against interpersonal violence. The name ‘Tulip’ comes from the non-linear model of healing, suggesting that healing does not always have to be an upward trend. It can change, just as a tulip opens and closes.

TWAP House

11 Howard

Identity-Based House

Together We All Prosper (TWAP) house strives to tackle social justice issues, particularly regarding men of color from urban backgrounds. The house stands as a haven and space for people of color on campus and serves to develop people of color. House members work to enhance the campus culture both academically and socially through the involvement of diverse activities. Residents are encouraged to engage in multiple programming events held by the house and other campus collaborators to help integrate the greater Wheaton community.