

Kiara Ortiz

You are here

West House Best House!
One of the first communities I was assigned to pre-freshman year was my housing community: West House! Each incoming student was assigned to one of the six houses: School House, South House, East Wheelock House, North Park House, Allen House, or the best house (West House). Created in 2016, the housing communities are another opportunity for

As the official Events Chair for the West House, I assist in the planning of activities and house events! In early October, a few friends and I organized a virtual West House themed escape room! We had students from all over enjoy a 40-minute game to try and escape West House to capture our house professors' new dog (trust me, Benjamin is beyond adorable). Additionally, we invite all freshmen to sponsor their own events, such as Judy G. '24, who provided an opportunity for students to casually paint and listen to music on a Saturday! Beyond these recreational activities, our house professor also utilizes his connections with other professors to provide engaging talks on various topics such as analyzing research that correlates to life on venus and analyzing the state of the voting process during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is always something for students to get involved with, from home or on campus!

With six house communities, it is only natural that friendly competition arises! That's right, I'm talking about the annual House Cup! Each year, there are a series of competitions hosted by each house for everyone to participate in and gain points for their respective house. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the cup! One of our first challenges coming up is a photo challenge, consisting of various tasks that you need to photograph/videotape yourself doing! For example, you could go on a run, take a picture with a professor, read a Dr. Seuss book on the Green, and more!
As a student starting college during a pandemic, I'm glad to have the housing system as a source of community, guidance, and fun! Did I mention that you also get free house swag??

Posts You Might Like

Despite how long it's been since I was physically on campus, my sense of belonging as a Dartmouth student has never wavered.


The Dartmouth Center for Social Impact (DCSI) is a hub for students seeking community service opportunities.


Looking back on my college search process, I remember really wanting to meet students to try and get a sense of the school's culture. To help you guys out, I decided to interview a couple '24s to help you guys get a sense of Dartmouth!


No freshman year is perfect, and I'm reflecting on a few learned lessons that I wish I knew before attending Dartmouth.


I was attracted by the opportunity to engage with first-year residents and shape their Dartmouth experiences, in addition to working with other UGAs and staff who shared my interest in helping others.


After almost a year off-campus, I came back to campus committed to the winter experience and I am simply loving it.


Dartmouth's tradition of a campus-wide midnight snowball fight lives on!


We so very wish you could step onto Dartmouth's campus yourself to witness the beauty of our winters live, but COVID-19 has made visiting campuses extremely difficult. I would love to share some of my favorite photos from this past snowy week!


With lots of things (understandably) still closed on campus, it's nice to know that study spaces are beginning to open up again in a safe and responsible way.
