For four chapters of U’s Greek Row, the Winter Olympics will be a little closer to home.
Sororities Alpha Chi Omega and Chi Omega and fraternities Sigma Chi and Beta Theta Pi have rented out their houses to the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Games next month.
SLOC struck a deal more than two years ago with the housing corporation that owns the four residences.
Natalie Boyer, president of Alpha Chi Omega, expressed excitement about the opportunity to share their home as a piece of the Olympic experience.
“This was a good opportunity to make money, and we couldn’t ever make this much money in a month any other way,” Boyer said.
For 38 days, venue workers and members of the media will call the Alpha Chi Omega house home. Boyer doesn’t know how many will reside there in February. She also doesn’t know how much the sorority received for renting.
“We haven’t received a final number after taxes, but [with the money they received] we were able to remodel our upstairs bathroom and parts of downstairs,” Boyer said.
Taking the initiative, Boyer said, is what helped land Alpha Chi Omega the deal. The sorority members living in the Alpha Chi Omega house moved out Jan. 24.
“We were just the ones that went and spoke to SLOC,” Boyer said.
Emily Jardine, chapter president of Chi Omega, shares Boyer’s excitement about their unique participation in the Winter Games.
“It’s a really great opportunity for us,” Jardine said. “It’s just really cool to be able to participate.”
The Chi Omega house has accommodations for 17 people, though Jardine doesn’t know how many people will be occupying the house next month.
“We have one of the smaller houses [on Greek Row], but the location is prime,” Jardine said.
Lynn Cotrell, house manager for Beta Theta Pi, acknowledged that the house would be rented out during the Games, but said that no athletes would be staying in the house.
“The people staying in the house are affiliated with the Games, but they’re not athletes,” Cotrell said.
Cotrell also refused to comment on the exact amount of money the Beta Theta Pi chapter would receive in exchange for the use of their house.
Sigma Chi President Lance Bullen could not be reached at deadline.