https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sxQz50hMzQ
On Friday night, students filled the Baker-Berry Library lobby to find out their housing community placement from wax sealed letters.
After receiving their envelopes, students headed to different parts of the library to meet house professors, eat cookies, sign a leather-bounded book and pick up house-specific scarves and t-shirts. The event was followed by late night breakfast at the Class of 1953 Commons.
The event aimed to provide a place for students to socialize and celebrate a historic moment at Dartmouth, Dean of the College Rebecca Biron said.
She noted that house clusters intend to increase intellectual engagement, build stronger communities and provide more continuity in the residential experience for undergraduates. Biron said that, as “the physical heart of the College,” Baker-Berry Library was the ideal place to represent those goals.
“The reason people come to Dartmouth is to learn, and the library represents the production of knowledge, that preservation of knowledge and the ongoing dissemination of knowledge,” Biron said. “The six houses are each going to be in their own corner of campus, but what brings us all together as an intellectual community is symbolized by the library.”
A housing working group established in the fall that focuses on developing house identities helped plan last Friday’s event.
Hansa Sharma ’19, a working group member, said that she had initially seen resistance about the housing system amongst students, with many holding polarized views. She added, however, that she thought the event made students more open to the idea and helped warm them up to the system, meeting professors and friends in the communities.
“We can’t change everyone’s opinions in a matter of a day but people are warming up to the system, and Founders Day helped alleviate some concerns regarding the differences between the Greek system and the housing system,” Sharma said.
She said that events such as Founders Day and late night breakfast helped clear up details with students and open up dialogue.
“I’m really excited to be part of this group,” Sharma said. “I was initially against the housing system, but it’s exciting to be part of this transitional phase of the College, and to see administrators working so hard to create new social spaces in our community.”
Sharma said that she thought the housing system “adds another layer” to the campus social scene in addition to athletic teams, Greek houses and other student organizations.
At the event, students picked up free scarves and t-shirts made in their house colors. The administration did not release any production costs to students who had been part of the working group, Sharma said.
The colors were chosen to complement Dartmouth green, Biron said, but each house was assigned their color randomly.
“Over time, people will associate colors with attitude and identities, and that’s just something that’s going to develop for people as members of houses,” Biron said. “However, we want to keep symbols to a minimum so that house members can develop their own more complicated symbols and icons.”
Alex Kim ’19, who was placed in East Wheelock House, said that he thought the event had been run efficiently and that he had liked the gear that had been handed out.
However, he said that when he went to the East Wheelock specific part of the library students and faculty had minimal interactions.
Leanna Arjune ’19, who was placed in School House, said that she thought Founders Day was a good way to kick off the housing system and that the process was seamless and straightforward. However, she thought that the housing system removed a lot of choice from students.
Ultimately, Biron noted the communities aim to be student driven and foster outside-of-class interaction among students, between students and faculty, between students and staff and among faculty.
“I hope [students] understand the whole thing is designed to enrich and enhance their experience of a residential liberal arts college,” Biron said. “It’s up to them to make of it what they want it to be.”
Allen House includes Gile, Streeter and Lord Halls. East Wheelock House includes Andres, Zimmerman, McCulloch and Morton Halls. North Park House includes Ripley, Woodward and Smith Halls. School House includes Massachusetts Row and Hitchcock Hall. South House includes the Lodge, Topliff and New Hampshire Halls. West House includes Fahey, McLane, Butterfield and Russell Sage Halls.
Sharma is a member of The Dartmouth opinion staff.
