Breckinridge House

Breckinridge House is currently a dormitory serving the University of Chicago. One of the smaller dormitories on campus, it houses on average 90 undergraduates, though has been known in the past to serve as the residence for graduate students. A prominent feature of Breckinridge house, as with many other dorms of the University of Chicago, is its overwhelming number of single rooms, which comprise approximately 2/3 of the building.

History of Breckinridge House

For more information, see Sophonisba Breckinridge

When Breckinridge House became part of the University of Chicago housing system, it originally was an all female dorm, and to this day retains many qualities of the days of old. It is currently the only dormitory with single sex floors, except for the ground floor, which is divided between the eastern and western wings. Only two other houses in the university housing system, both in Max Palevsky Residential Commons, have single sex floors.

During the later years of the twentieth century, the University began to have a surplus of beds and sleeping space, so Breckinridge Hall was closed for several years, and the residents were sent to live in Hoover House of Max Palevsky Residential Commons.

Undergraduate Life

Residents (colloquially known as "Breckies") of Breckinridge House dine at the Burton-Judson Courts, along with residents of the Shoreland and Burton-Judson. This is sometimes seen as an inconvenience to residents of Breckinridge, as the dining hall is approximately a 10-15 minute walk from the dorm, and during the winter, many opt to order food rather than go to the dining hall.

Undergraduates living in Breckinridge house are generally known for having a very tight sense of community, and this is indicative of late night soccer games on the Midway, love of lengthy philosophical discussions, and other social events that take place in either of the two main lounges.

There are several house traditions at Breckinridge. The most notable, perhaps, is "Sophie Day", named in honor of Sophonisba Breckinridge (who actually preferred the nickname "Nisba"), which is a cocktail party in the lounge of the dorm to which the residents invite their favorite professors or TAs. Another tradition more relevant to the day-to-day life of the dorm is the claim that the girls' bathroom is haunted.

Scav Hunt

For the University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt, Breckinridge House has historically teamed up with Hoover house of Max Palevsky Residential Commons, due to the historical ties shared as a result of the relocation of ex-Breckies when the dorm was shut down.

External links

http://breckinridge-house.uchicago.edu/ - Official website of Breckinridge House