The tenants of 1120 Broad Street live dangerously. The old white house behind the John Chrystal Center is a vermin burying ground, underground brewery, and freshman dance den all at once. Living in this house of horror are Scott Hoag, Jon Davis, Noah Fribley, Alexis Leuszler, and Frances Bothfeld, all ’12.
The group met each other early on during their first years at the College, and they moved in together at Gates during their second year, where they started many of their traditions and built a strong bond.
This year, their home’s official name is the Danger Zone, but it’s also affectionately known as Gay Pride Rock. Residents explained that this name means the home is a location for those with gay pride to rock out—it is not to be confused with a gay pride version of “The Lion King’s” Pride Rock.
“Danger Zone refers to the general state of the house,” Davis said. “There are several things about this house that might kill you … mostly wildlife-borne illness.”
“The upstairs was declared unlivable because of the roach infestation,” Leuszler said.
The tenants also discovered a dead bat in their den, hidden underneath a sofa cushion. These disturbing problems were all addressed at the start of the semester. Now, the Danger Zone is a habitable, albeit disheveled, college rental.
There is one room in here that is always rodent and cockroach free, and that is Lexie Leuszler’s Sugar Shack,” Leuszler expressed.
The Danger Zone doesn’t always have parties on the weekends, but when the residents do host guests, they invite an eclectic group, which is especially entertaining for Bothfeld, who spent her junior year away from Grinnell. The tenants are particularly drawn to the company of first years, though.
“This is the first year den,” Leuszler said, while sitting in a large white room, with three sofas, a large TV, and still plenty of room for dancing. “They storm this room, turn off the lights, put Kanye on and don’t leave.”
“It’s a little scary,” Bothfeld added.
However, any partying first years should be sure to come prepared for the cold, as the house’s heater is seldom used. The group is committed to low heating costs, with members attempting to complete No Heat November.
“We made it a week before Thanksgiving before I threw a sh*t-fit,” Leuszler said.
For most of the month, the temperature of the house was a balmy 56 degrees. However, there was an upside to the cooler weather.
“First years will need to cuddle their bodies up on each other to stay warm,” Leuszler said with a sly grin.
A good way to warm up from the chilly indoor temperatures is to drink Davis’ home brews.
“This house is a functioning brewery,” Davis said. “I’ve been home brewing for over a year, and I make anything from Summer Wheat to a Dark Stout.”
Davis plans on going to Africa next year, where he hopes to start a brewery. He won’t be far from the Danger Zone, though—all of the tenants seem to include Africa in their future plans in some way.
They’ll have plenty of souvenirs from Grinnell to take with them, though. Many of the men behind this year’s 10/10 live in the Danger Zone, with Hoag, Davis, and Fribley all having played a vital role in the campus festivity. They have so many 10/10 shirts remaining that they have started using them as rags.
