"Good Food, Good Company"

Veritas et Honestas, which translates as "Truth and Honor," is the official Riepe House motto; however, "good food, good company" is how we like to portray the vibe at Riepe College House, and the phrase has since become its unofficial motto. At Riepe, a community of 487 residents, social and intellectual pursuits are skillfully integrated into everyday life and its faculty-in-residence frequently mingle with residents in true Ivy League spirit.

In fact, Riepe faculty and staff pride themselves on their welcoming spirit. Prof. Carol Muller is joining Riepe as Faculty Director in fall of 2022, and Dr. Marsha Richardson joined us in fall 2021 as the Mentors Program Program Coordinator and House Fellow.  Dr. Sebastián Gil-Riaño, his wife Adriann and their son Arturo host Planet Sundaes, and welcome students into their home to enjoy sweets and nature documentaries. 

Riepe residents also participate in many off-campus events. Off-campus opportunities this past year included tickets to the opening night concert of the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts; concerts at the Annenberg Center, tickets for some of Philadelphia’s premiere theater productions; Philadelphia 76ers basketball games at the Wells Fargo Center; hall outings to Center City, Old City, Chinatown, Fishtown, and others; movie outings to the Landmark Theaters in Center City and the Cinemark in University City; and tickets to the New Jersey Adventure Aquarium and Philadelphia Flower Show.

For many Riepe-ites it is simply their life at “home” that makes their first year experience so warm and so much fun. There are House social events such as midnight brunches during Reading Days and final exams, "Dinners for Ten" at the Rosen’s with special guests, foosball and pool tournaments, and long-standing house-wide traditions such as the late summer Baby Quad picnic, the International and Oktoberfest Dinners and the Holiday Party—along with yummy study breaks and a myriad of other "pop-up" events. Whether it is achieved through casual exchanges, at-home get-togethers or organized study groups, Riepe has a social ease that helps residents bond and thrive.