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Today at Conn

An internal newsletter for the Connecticut College community

Fall 2022 Mindfulness Workshop

Come join us to learn and practice Mindfulness!
Every Monday Starting Oct 10th, 2022 through Nov 14th, 2022
3pm to 4pm at Warnshuis Health Center
2nd floor Conference Room
How to Join: Email SCS@Conncoll.edu

Student Flu Clinic

Nutmeg Pharmacy, in conjunction with Student Health Services, will be holding a student flu clinic on Tuesday, October 4th from 11am to 3pm. The fee will be billed to insurance and no appointment is necessary.

STUDENTS - Join the CONN-tainers program!

Are you interested in taking your meal with you? Join the CONN-tainers program!

Information for students:
Step One: Signup for the CONN-tainer program at Harris and receive a container or carabiner immediately. You will be charged $10 if you fail to return the container.
Step Two: Package your food and enjoy!
Step Three: Return your container for another or choose to receive a carabiner.

Details:
Containers can be used and exchanged at Jane Addams and Harris Dining. Signup however is at Harris only.
Please empty food from the container and rinse lightly after use. We will wash, sanitize & dry the container.
You will be charged $10 if you fail to return the container. You will not be charged for wear & tear.
All other types of reusable food containers are prohibited in the dining halls due to state health regulations.

Featured Events

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The Experience

Four Years with the Experience

The Experience, Samirah Jaigirdar '22

I have been dreading but also looking forward to this day. After four years, this is my last blog post for The Experience. I joined The Experience on my second day at Connecticut College and coincidentally, it was my birthday! The primary goal for this blog is to give prospective students a small glimpse into what life at Conn feels like. In my selfish way, I have used this platform to reflect on some of my most monumental moments at Conn. I had many firsts here. There was my , my first time at the , and my first time trying ! I documented some major milestones: my , my , and ! I also had the opportunity to talk about more overarching experiences that heavily influenced my time here, the most notable being my . I also tried to give prospective international students some tips to acclimate themselves to the US and Conn. Many have had the same experience as me — they did not visit Conn or the U.S. before starting the semester. Hence, blogs written by international students was one of the best ways they could get some practical advice before they arrived. I spoke about , in the dining halls, and how annoying can be when they are delayed.

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Last Camel Day

The Experience, Samirah Jaigirdar '22

As an international student, I never had a chance to do in-person visits to any college. I think being able to see the place where I would live for four years would have helped calm my nerves. Although I did not get this chance, Camel Days, days in which admitted students are invited to campus, are still one of my favorite times of the year. The sense of community on Camel Days is different. There is something energizing in the air. In the spring of my first year, I had the chance to interact with numerous accepted students as a student adviser during Camel Days. Unfortunately, the 2019 Camel Days were the last in-person ones due to COVID-19. So when the Office of Admissions announced that in 2022 Conn would be welcoming accepted students from the Class of 2026 to in-person Camel Days, I was thrilled; and, when they asked me to speak to students in the morning, I was honored.

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Training for the Dream Job

The Experience, Joaquín Morales ’23

I ended up declaring film studies as my major early on in my time here at Conn which has inspired me to pursue some memorable experiences. For example, a couple weeks ago I was asked to document Flo Rida’s set at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, CT, on behalf of Respective Collective, an NYC-based production company. My friend MJ, who coincidently lives in the same residence hall as I do, was also brought on because of her experience in concert photography–something that Respective also needed for the event. This ended up being one of my favorite concert cinematography gigs because of the energy that Flo and his team brought to the venue, as well as having grown up listening to a lot of his music. The venue was about an hour away from campus which called for a nice drive. MJ and I caught a nice sunset during the trip. We both agreed that it was really cool to have been able to do this because of our passion for both live concert photography and cinematography; it truly felt like we were living our dream careers for a day.

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Hacking JA

The Experience, Samirah Jaigirdar '22

As a senior, I have come to appreciate any customizable food experience Conn can offer me. This year, I have particularly enjoyed Jane Addams (JA) Dining’s lunches where you can make your own panini.

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Top 5 Things to Do on a Weekend at Conn

The Experience, Samirah Jaigirdar '22

Sometimes right before the weekend starts I realize that I don’t have much work to do. This usually happens in the first three weeks of the semester before all my papers are assigned at the same time. I have no doubt that many people face this dilemma. Hence I have brainstormed some fun activities people can do on-campus during their downtime!

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CCEmpower Show

The Experience, Samirah Jaigirdar '22 Samirah Jaigirdar ’22

In my first spring semester at Conn, I went to Palmer Auditorium to watch CCEmpower’s annual show. The purpose of CCEmpower is to perform a show that represents women and non-binary students across varying identities through unique, but unifying voices. CCEmpower's show involves Conn students submitting monologues that showcase their lived experiences. The goal of this organization is to create an inclusive space to bring students together and reflect on their lived experiences, while also raising money and awareness for Safe Futures, an essential service in Southeastern Connecticut that provides support for survivors of domestic abuse.

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International Student Hacks: Packing Edition

The Experience, Samirah Jaigirdar '22

As an international student, it can be hard to figure out what you need to pack into the two suitcases your airline allows you to carry. Over the years, I have forgotten many key things at home which I realized midway through the flight. Hence, I have come up with a list of things you should bring:

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The Last Spring

The Experience, Samirah Jaigirdar '22

This winter break, I did not go home to Bangladesh. Instead, I stayed in the U.S. and visited my friend in Los Angeles. After my brief trip, I came back to campus early. Most students were not back and the quiet serenity gave me some time to reflect on the parts of Conn I will miss the most as I start my last semester here. Getting Mozzarella Sticks from Oasis Nothing can quite live up to an impromptu Oasis Cafe visit with my friends at midnight. Whether it’s after a hard night in Shain Library during midterms or on a Saturday during a hangout, the Oasis mozzarella sticks hit all my salty and cheesy cravings. Sprinting to Tempel Green to take photos of the sunsetI have lost count of how many times I have spied a sliver of either orange or pink from the windows of Shain Library and I raced to Tempel Green to take a photo of the sunset behind Harkness Chapel. As I grew up in a crowded city, I rarely saw such a magnificent sight. Thus, Conn sunsets hold a special place in my heart. Getting a mid-afternoon coffee from Coffee GroundsI like to use our student-run coffee shops as a study break. I particularly like visiting Coffee Grounds as a lot of the baristas and bakers are my friends. My recommendations for CG are their matcha lattes and shaken espresso with a cinnamon shot.SGA General Assemblies on ThursdaysThroughout my junior and senior year, I have been heavily involved with Conn’s Student Government Association. We usually hold our general meetings on Thursdays, hence, it has become a weekly constant in my schedule. It’s a great forum for students to make their voices heard, get involved with a co-curricular activity, and an opportunity to make friends who are not in my class year or major. Cooking with my roommate in our on-campus apartmentIn my senior year, I was lucky enough to get an on-campus apartment with one of my best friends. She was my roommate in my first year of Conn. We wanted to come full circle and be roommates in our senior year too. Having a kitchen to cook in at the end of the day has been a great stress reliever after a long day of classes and SGA appointments. Late nights in Shain Library If you couldn’t tell by this blog post, I spend a lot of time in Shain Library. But I don’t study all the time there. Shain first floor is my second home on campus. I hang out with my friends and occasionally, do some work. We have two tables we always sit at and we run into the same groups of people which makes Shain the most comforting place on campus. My Professors I always say that “the people make Conn.” Throughout my time at Conn, I had the pleasure of working with numerous professors who I have depended on heavily. Starting from getting help outlining my papers during my first semester to advising me on my graduate school applications, my professors have made my Conn experience so much better. Conn’s small class sizes and the frequency of office hours have ensured that my professors know me well. These relationships served me well for graduate school applications as they advised me on whether a particular program was suitable for me. These are small snapshots of the things that have made my Conn experience memorable. In my last semester, I intend to enjoy all of these while eating as many Mozzarella sticks as possible.

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Changing Scope

The Experience, Samirah Jaigirdar '22

It’s been two years since I attended Conn’s first All-College Symposium, where seniors present their integrative learning in the Connections curriculum. At that time, I found it hard to believe that I would someday have a cohesive senior integrative project (SIP) for the Toor Cummings Center for International Studies and the Liberal Arts (CISLA). In a SIP, seniors integrate their major, coursework, research, and internship experience in the form of an honors thesis or an independent study project and then present it at the symposium. It is a big undertaking and as a sophomore, I felt quite overwhelmed thinking that I’d have to have a perfectly finalized idea for my SIP by the time I would present my senior year at the symposium.

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A Foodie’s Adventures Through the Capital

The Experience, Samirah Jaigirdar '22

I have not been on any kind of vacation since the pandemic started. So when Fall Break rolled around this year, all I wanted to do was go somewhere. I did not care where as long as I didn’t have to think or talk about my academics. For my final Fall Break at Conn, a couple of my friends and I went to Washington, D.C. I had two goals: visit as many museums as possible and try as many new foods as possible. I definitely excelled at the second goal.

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My CISLA Internship

The Experience, Samirah Jaigirdar '22

When I was accepted into the Toor Cummings Center for International Studies and the Liberal Arts (CISLA) in the fall of my sophomore year, I never thought I’d be forced to search for my international internship (which is a traditional part of the CISLA program) during a global pandemic. I also did not think I would be doing a remote internship. I was excited about furthering my Arabic language skills during my study abroad semester in Morocco and then a summer internship, also in Morocco, where I would be strengthening my professional linguistic skills. However, Covid-19 forced me to change my plans.

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