As a residential college, weekly activities in the residence halls are a large part of the culture at Conn. The floor governors, student staff responsible for residential programming, make a concerted effort to create varied events every week. I’m a huge fan of this. It allows the residents to grow closer, which molds what was previously just a residence hall into an actual home. This is important, because living away from home— whether you’re a first-year or a senior— is often not as comfortable as being in your own familiar space. The events are an inclusive way to band together and become a surrogate family between the months of September and May.        

Last weekend my friend who is a floor governor in my residence hall, Harkness, put on an awesome event that was specifically for juniors—there happen to be a lot of us— in the common room, and there was great food, music and even a disco ball. It was what one might call a “mixer;” and it did what it was supposed to do: it brought those from our class living in Harkness closer, plus it was obviously tons of fun (anytime good cheese makes its way into a college event, you know it has to be a good time)!

Just last night, I went to another great event led by another friend at Coffee Grounds, the student-run coffee shop in Katherine Blunt House. The event was called “Reimagining the Residential Experience.” We ate loads of food from Paul’s Pasta (an awesome restaurant in Groton that catered the event) and spoke with the dean of students and two other residential life deans. This is an example of a different kind of event, because it drew a group of students from all over campus. That’s Conn for ya. We get to sit down with deans from different areas of the college while eating great food to talk about what we love and what we think could change. 

At Conn, the residential experience is such a crucial aspect and component of the  College. Whether it’s going to a more intimate event that solely caters to residents or going to a more open event that acts as a forum for change, the students here believe in the beauty of sharing communal spaces because this fosters close relationships and creates abundant friendships. 

And tonight, I went back to my residence hall after watching a hockey game to go to an event in the common room. We made a fire in the fireplace and roasted marshmallows for s’mores. It was a great way to welcome in the colder months ahead. Plus, it was another event with good food (something that Conn students clearly admire).