Wandering up High Street, you may ask yourself what house comes after “The White House.” Fittingly, the answer is “The Country Club.” Though for some the term “country club” might hint at a socially conservative mindset, their front yard, decorated with a sign for Democrat Roxanne Conlin, suggests otherwise.

Their name actually came about because they are all athletes of sports that are generally thought of as country club ones.

“We have tennis players, swimmers, golfers, so a lot of country club sports, so the name just stuck,” said Tom Lankiewicz ’12.

The rent-paying residents of this two-story, very spacious abode are Bonnie Kircher ’12, Anna Day ’12, Gilly Dryjanski ’12, Jeff Kljaich ’11, Tom Lankiewicz ’12, Tommy Olson ’10.5, and honorary members are Paul Gagne ’11 and Manu Spooner ’13. It is another one of the six houses owned by landlord Cathy Steenhoek.

The only current resident who lived here last year was Kljaich and he is the one who compiled the group.

“Last year when I lived in this house everyone was older than me. I felt like living off campus my junior year was a good experience so I wanted to share it with these fine folks,” Kljaich said.

The house boasts several quirky features that only a club member or guest would have knowledge of. This includes the delicious aromas that wander from the adjacent house at 3 or 5 a.m.

“It smells like meat in a certain room on the top floor—it smells like Spam, so that’s nice,” Kircher said.

Perhaps due to the club’s meaty scents, it attracts several feral cats that linger around their garbage, looting treats left behind.

“That’s really the highlight—that we have a pack of feral cats wandering around in our garbage behind the house, staying clear of the train tracks,” Day said.

They have yet to invite one into the house, but that is not to say they are entirely anti-pet. Dryjanski has a fish that she is quite proud of and the house has a fondness for a mutually-owned stuffed animal fish.

The entrance to the house includes a long staircase that leads to the bedrooms, and next to that on the first floor is their special Pong table. To the left is a room with a Buddhist tapestry on the wall and a giant stuffed bear that looks like he doesn’t mess around. This room links up with the living room that has two couches and a television—there is a lot of space in this country club. The television is utilized for the occasional heated Mario Kart game that can sometimes drag deep into the night.

Another feature of the club includes its slanty foundation, which makes the house feel particularly off-kilter at times, especially when coupled with the nearness of the train that passes behind them.

“The ground is sloped, the whole house is off kilter and if you spill something it will trickle into Jeff’s room,” Kljaich said.

The house has an array of different decorations that has been accumulated over the years from previous owners, including a California state poster. An addition is a vintage Richard Nixon poster that belongs to Olson, who borrowed it from his grandfather’s basement.

“It was in my grandpa’s basement for awhile and then I just stole it for the house,” Olson said.

To begin every Sunday night they take out the trash, which they mark as a very important bonding opportunity. Another important event is the late night run to Kum & Go for their milkshake—not their smoothies.

“We all go to Kum & Go together. The milkshakes there are delicious. The smoothies aren’t very good, though—don’t get the smoothies,” Kircher said.

There must be something spectacular in the water at this country club, because the house gets traffic like it were Times Square.
“Since I moved here two years ago we have had 35 people live here,” Kljaich said.

Whatever it is that has people coming through, the present residents are glad to be living there and practicing their country club camaraderie.