Although five of the Amarna undergraduate society's current 11 residents are unaffiliated students, neither it nor the Panarchy undergraduate society are in danger of losing their houses or disbanding because of residency issues.
Amarna House Manager Mike Bruno '99 said Amarna was forced to accept unaffiliated students in the house this year because many Amarna members were living elsewhere.
"An unusually large number of members had other housing commitments like UGAs or affinity houses," he said.
According to Assistant Dean of Residential Life Deb Reinders, neither of the organizations has violated rules applying to undergraduate societies set by the College.
A minimum requirement of the Coed Fraternity and Sorority Council, which also applies to Amarna and Panarchy, is that bedrooms in a house must be filled to capacity, but Reinders said that house occupancy has not been an issue with Amarna or Panarchy.
Panarchy houses 14 of its 24 members, and anyone who lives there automatically becomes a member. Amarna houses not only members but also unaffiliated students.
According to Panarchy President James McGuire '99, Panarchy is a privately-owned house.
Panarchy Vice-President Mike Borden '99 said talk of the College purchasing the house is "an unbased rumor."
While the College owns Amarna's physical plant, plans for transforming the house into something else are unclear. Bruno said he has not heard about any attempts to remove Amarna from the house.
Both Panarchy and Amarna are coed undergraduate societies that have no pledge or rush period for new members.
Panarchy originally functioned as a fraternity. In 1993, however, Panarchy departed from the Greek system and became an undergraduate social organization.
While Panarchy sponsors parties, alcohol is not served.
Bruno said "Amarna was founded as an alternative to the Greek system where anyone can join -- members select us rather than the other way around."
Bruno said although half of Amarna's events involve alcohol, the society does not emphasize alcohol in its social atmosphere.
Borden said its members are not mainstream Dartmouth students.
"They want to be different in that they do not fit the dominant paradigm of the student body," he said.
