Union’s yearly Theme House festival was held in the Nott Memorial. Each of Union’s 13 Theme Houses tabled during the event, seeking to draw the interest of potential new members before housing applications being later in the term.  Concordiensis asked each Theme House what made them the best for prospective students. House representatives were free to answer in any way they chose, and the responses vary from statements on the environment of the house, to events, to mission statements. All members of the Theme Houses rather than just the house coordinators (their equivalence to RAs, elected from within the Houses) were invited to table; those that Concordiensis spoke to were just as often house members, often in groups. Quotes were taken from the representatives and edited for clarity. 

ARTS House (201 Seward Pl.): 

We are all artists in different forms. Musicians, poets, painters, sculptors etc. It’s great to spend time in a community with other artists. We were jamming in preparation for our open mic night. The floors will cook dinners for each other and meetings will go off topic. We have really good relations with the other theme houses, especially Dance House. Other events include paint and sip, dance and paint (with Dance House) sometimes people will come and paint on the wall. Outside of events, people will just get together. People will embroider while we watch something ang hang out.

Bronner House (John Smith House, by Grant Center): 

We’re the multicultural house. We’re an on campus house, so it is very convenient. We’re a very open house. We accept everybody. We host events with BSU and LASO. We host group study sessions. Everyone keeps their doors open. It feels very welcoming. 

Cinematic House (32 Union Ave.): 

We’re a low key theme house on Union avenue. We put on movies for the community. We run trivia nights. We run Professor led discussions. Our events are around movies and what’s popular now. We always do dinners together. We invite the community. Its nice to bring in the union community to our movie nights.

Dance House (207 Seward Pl.): 

It allows people to explore new aspects of dance. It’s open to anyone who’s interested in dance. The community is great, it’s a pretty tight community. It doesn’t feel like a dorm, it feels like you’re living in a house with friends.

Dickens House (315 Seward Pl.): 

It’s a really good place if you’re an introvert or too many others because you can have your own room, a solo room, or hang out with people. But you don’t have to do both. Dickens is at a prime location on campus; the other side of Seward is a much longer walk.

Game House (215 Seward Pl.): 

It’s a brand new house. Hosts regular board game events that everyone loves and builds community. We have a kickball event coming up. Everyone played kickball in middle school and high school. So It’s a good place to make new friends

Iris House (301 Seward Pl.): 

It has the space for LGBTQ+ people. We have two kitchens and bathrooms. Everyone has a single. Our house has the spare bed for someone who really needs it. We have events that are designed to promote understanding. We have a really chill environment and we’re in the most convenient place on campus.

Maker House (209 Seward Pl.): 

Makers are people who believe in making their ideas into a physical reality. They are people who love seeking out unsolved problems and finding creative and innovative solutions to them. They combine electrical engineering skills with artistic perception, carpentry with computer programming, cooking chemistry with video production, and are driven to do so by the joy of creation.  Collaboration is key to creation in the maker community. While the campus is home to many capable, creative, and brilliant students, those students tend not to overlap between disciplines. An engineer with experience using microcontrollers and motors for projects is not often in a position where they are able to have a conversation with an artist with an idea for a moving sculpture. Without this social component, these two people do not meet, and do not have the chance to collaborate and create something incredible.

Ozone House (1284 Lenox Rd.):  

Sustainability, community, The Groot, sexual liberation, vegan, love, openness, queer, mom, nourishment, laughter, no shoes in the house, trees, Ozone Dance Party, historic home, ornithology, backyard, big rooms, music, art, movement, fun times, many memories, awareness, activism, eliminate pesticide use, endowment transparency, ozone cafe, vegetarian, conflict resolution and communication, clarity, and Plantasia. 

Serenity House (319 Seward Pl.): 

We are one of the few houses where bottom and top flies spend time eight. Everyone is very friendly and connected. It’s a very mature environment and serene. 

Symposium (233 Seward Pl.): 

Our house is based on social justice. Social justice is arcing that accountability based on identity. We like to view ourselves as the ones who keep the school accountable on issues of race… [Symposium is based on] social politics, which is politics on an interpersonal level. Last term’s discussion was with [Professor] Wiest on environmental justice. We held a murder mystery, sort of a critique on frat culture. We’re not  trying to be controversial… [The house] used to be political science focused, but now it’s more interpersonal focused. Most of our people are from different backgrounds…We’ve shifted from macro politics to interpersonal politics.

Tech (325 Seward Pl.): 

Tech House has the best taste in TV, movies, and music above other houses. We have one open room, a single. We have a very active house community. The house also has lots of old technology that we like to repair. We have a very diverse number of people in terms of academics, from a variety of academic backgrounds.

Wells (on campus, behind Grant Center): 

I love our house because there’s never a night where there’s something not going on, snowball fights, baking birthday cakes, doing homework, or going to skeller. You can never walk down the stairs without seeing someone. There’s a good mix of people.