My Friend’s House is your friend’s house

February 3rd, 2011 | By Leah Yacknin-Dawson | Section: Features

At the far end of High Street lies a place where owls are plentiful, clothing is optional, and parties are frequent. My Friend’s House, 1005 High Street, is home to Sam Forman, Ben Schemper, Will von Geldern and Davis Hermann, all class of 2011. The housemates have known each other since their underclassmen days and have remained close ever since.

Ben Schemper '11, Davis Hermann '11, Sam Forman '11 and Will von Geldern '11 (left to right) congregate in the living room of 1005 High Str, or My Friend's House. The four recently reunited friends share their home with a variety of owl memorabilia and brightly colored travel artifacts - Andrew Kelley

“Davis, Will and me met our freshmen year during soccer,” Schemper said. “Will and me lived together during sophomore year, and that’s when we met Sam, because he lived above us. We decided to live together the fall of our junior year.”

Although the quartet was not complete until the start of this semester, when Schemper returned from a semester in Guatemala, they’ve already managed to establish their humble abode as one of High Street’s most eligible party spots. Disproving the controversial rumor that circulated this fall—“Broad Street is the new High Street”—My Friend’s House has already kicked off the semester with a successful party, “Arrival Confirmation,” which was thrown the first Saturday that students returned to campus.

While the parties are always successful, the process of party-throwing at My Friend’s House is much simpler than many may expect.

“We decide to have a party if someone comes home from class one day and says, ‘Hey do you guys want to throw a party?’” said von Geldern. “And then we come up with a name and if everyone’s in agreement, then we throw a party and make this guy [Hermann] play really good music that makes people want to dance.”

Despite the seemingly lax system in which the members of My Friend’s House decide when and what parties to host, students should have no fear that there will be plenty to look forward to in the months to come. My Friend’s House already has plans for upcoming parties.

“We’re going to throw a black light party, where everyone wears white and you walk around with markers and draw on each other,” said Forman. “We’re going to throw the after-party for Disco and probably the after-party for Talking Heads, as well,” said Schemper.

When the residents of My Friend’s House are not throwing parties, they still enjoy indulging in some more modest activities. My Friend’s House enjoys porch sitting, when weather permits, while naked lounging is a favorite activity year round.

“Yeah, we tend to hang out naked a lot,” Hermann said. “We just walk around our house naked. It’s fun.”

Naked or not and amid their owl-themed decor, various multicultural home accessories—such as authentic Guatemalan artwork attained during Schemper’s semester abroad and vintage finds from Chicago’s subway system—it is clear that 1005 High Street is truly a house for friends.