The College's Greek system is no exception to the unofficial mandate that students must bond with their class during sophomore summer.
"It's a lot like camp -- sometimes it is absolutely juvenile," said Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity summer President Matt Richardson '97. "It is usually the odd moments late at night when everyone seems to unwind by regressing."
With many of the College's students living in fraternities and sororities, the center of the College's residential life has shifted from dorm life to the Greek houses that line Webster Ave. and beyond.
Because only the Class of 1997 is on campus this term large houses have turned into intimate gathering places.
"I wouldn't say it is a constant party, but there always seems to be something going on in the house," said Alpha Delta summer President Jeff Woods '97.
Coed Fraternity Sorority Council President James Freeman '97 said Summer term creates a unique opportunity for the whole class to come together.
"It is a good time [for the CFSC] to branch out and reach everyone," he said. "There is a really open feeling about Greek life and our goal is to use the fact that we are '97s to get everybody together."
But Freeman, who is a member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity, said the summer also presents an opportunity for sophomores to get to know the other members of their house better.
"We were told by the older brothers that this is the time when we would come together and our house will really begin to take hold," Freeman said.
Jessica Russo '97, a sister of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority andsummer Panhellenic Council president, said one of the largest problems sororities face is that pledge classes are too big so sisters do not get a chance to meet each other.
"In the summer we all got to know each other and that's one of the reasons we are hoping to get more sororities," Russo said.
Richardson said living in a Greek house means members have selected the people with whom they want to live. That selection leads to "more of an emphasis on camaraderie."
Jill McCammon '97, a member of Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority, said living in her house over the summer has given her the opportunity to meet'97 sisters she did not know.
"Last week a couple of girls went running and they came back into the house asking anybody there to come and jump in the river with them," McCammon said. "You are not usually surrounded by a large group of friends who can do something spontaneous."
Russo said during the year, many students put their house membership on the back burner but in the summer "everybody is just excited to be together."
Richardson said the atmospheres of parties changes during the summer.
"The parties are a lot more intimate because we are all '97s," he said. "They are also a lot safer because we know most of the people."
Woods said one big difference during the summer was not having upperclassmen around the house.
The pledges of the Class of 1997 have become the house presidents and community leaders for the summer, Woods said.
"Up till this point it has been just following the other guys, but in the summer you get to choose what you want to do," Woods said.
Elisabeth Barbiero '97, a member of Tabard coed fraternity, agreed with Woods.
"Senior officers in the house were always in charge of things -- it is kind of cool having all your classmates in control," Barbiero said.
Richardson said authority is needed inside the house to get chores like cleaning up accomplished, and the shift in the house hierarchy could be potentially damaging.
But he said, "We haven't had a problem establishing authority this term."
The carefree life students lead inside the houses does have some drawbacks.
"The only drawback to living inside the house is that overall productivity goes down," Woods said. "I have to go outside of the house to get any work done."
But Barbiero said she would not choose to live outside her house.
"I would feel restricted living in a dorm during the summer," she said.
