Nuna Agbodza
"The River People": Living in French Hall
"The River People" is a term used to describe the students who live on the westernmost side of campus. The two buildings, Judge Hall and French Hall, make up the River Cluster. We call it that because we are situated right next to the Connecticut River. We often joke that we're closer to Vermont than we are to the dining hall, and frankly it may actually be a fact. Both Judge and French are residential halls for first years of West House. This is my experience having lived here for half a term!
As someone who wasn't very conversant with walking a lot every day, being in French has been a change of pace—literally! Realistically, nothing on campus is ever too far to walk, but going anywhere from French definitely takes a bit of time. I would say we're a 15 minute walk from most buildings. In the mornings and evenings, this walk is compounded by the chilly weather. As a result, most of us living in French pack our bags for the day in an effort to return to the dorm only after a full day of classes. However, I will say that most of us get upwards of 15,000 steps a day in, so we're forced to be healthy!
Different halls have slightly different room setups. In the River Cluster, we mainly have two-room doubles, three room doubles and single rooms. I am in a two-room double; in effect, I have my own room, which I love, while also having a roommate in an adjoining room. The rooms are comfortable and relatively spacious. I love the simultaneous feeling of having my own space but also having a roommate who I see and can talk to everyday.
People in the River Cluster tend to get to know each other a lot faster than the other halls; it might just be because we're the best, but don't take my word for it. Most of my friends are either in French or Judge, and I get to see them every day because of the proximity. The French Hall common room is always abuzz with activity. People often hold movie nights, play ping-pong or simply hang out there. You can always meet new people by stopping by the common room and talking with other people. Better yet, you can meet new people on the walk back to the dorms at night.
Lastly, the most important thing about the River Cluster has to be the river. Wow, who didn't see that one coming? Seeing as it's only about a ten minute walk from French or Judge, you'll often find us traipsing down to the waterfront to canoe or just to hang out. The scenery is beautiful, especially in the fall with the trees turning red, yellow and orange.
![In the front of the image are metal railings. Directly beyond the railings, you can see a river and you can see buildings and trees on the other bank of the river. The sky is bright blue and cloudless, allowing it to reflect on the surface of the water.](https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/sites/admissions.prod/files/styles/wysiwyg_full_width/public/admissions/wysiwyg/unnamed_87.jpg?itok=P1YSX5sX)
Living in French Hall has been great, and even though it took some getting used to, I'd definitely say that I'm happy I was placed here this year. West House, Best House
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