Lauren Groulx

West House, Best House!

I remember logging onto my Housing Portal this past summer, anxious to see where I'd be moving in just a few short weeks. I knew little about housing at Dartmouth and was completely unaware of the housing system. When a purple tree logo popped up on my screen, I was incredibly confused.

Dartmouth housing is made up of 6 Houses, which are randomly assigned to first-year students. These houses determine where you are assigned to live and provide a source of community for students. As a member of West House, the freshman dorms I could be assigned to were French, Judge, Richardson, or Russell Sage. 

I clicked onward and found myself assigned to live in French Hall. A quick Google search told me that I would be living in the dorm furthest away from The Green. French and Judge, lovingly referred to as "the River" are about a 12-minute walk away from the center of campus. They're closer to the Connecticut River (and Vermont) than Downtown Hanover!

I was nervous about this assignment at first, but now I couldn't be happier with my dorm. I love a lot of little things about French. I love the GroupMe group chat that I have with my floormates and Alan, our UGA (Undergraduate Advisor). I love the windows in the stairwells at each end of the building. I love bumping into friends while doing my laundry in the basement. I love our purple West House sweatshirts. I love getting a group of people together to walk to Late Night at Foco (Class of 1953 Commons, our dining hall). I love meeting other people who live in the River. I love watching the sunset on Tuck Drive and rise over the Connecticut. 

Living in the River provides an opportunity to instantly bond with other '27s (first years). As we trudge up Tuck Drive, we're able to get to know each other a bit better. I've never walked the entire way from French to FoCo or the Green without seeing a friendly face. 

Additionally, I've found that my commute time has lessened as time has gone on. In my couple of months living in French, I've learned which diagonals cut across campus most efficiently and what time the Campus Connector bus will stop at the near end of Tuck Drive. 

Despite my initial apprehension, I've come to appreciate the distance separating my dorm from the rest of campus. French and Judge are tucked behind buildings on one side, and surrounded by trees on the other. When I come back to French at the end of the day, I can't see the library, the buildings my classes are in, or the general hustle and bustle of campus. This allows me to leave the day behind and unwind with my friends in the common room or one of our dorms. 

Living in the River has been instrumental to my Dartmouth experience. Recently, I started referring to French as "home." So yeah, I'd say the whole housing community thing is working out pretty well. West House, best house!