The energy of the crowd crackled with conversation beneath the warm lights overhead. Students gathered on the lawn in front of the dining hall to celebrate the end of the year-long competition known as The House Collective. Throughout the school year, each residence hall or House, named for a Latin virtue, faces off against each other, “collecting” points in various competitions with the goal of their House being the big winner at the end of the school year.   

As the evening progressed, students milled about enjoying ice cream sundaes, and speculating on who won the competition. As Moriah Knotts and Dave Scarpelli, the Residence Directors, took their places at the microphones, a hush fell over the crowd. After many hard-fought victories, this year the students from the House of Aequitas won the House Collective.

Included as a part of the year-end celebration, the Residence Assistants and their hall Community Life Coordinators were honored and celebrated for the hard work they put in during the year. As the RAs and CLCs were recognized, they symbolically passed on their roles to next year’s incoming Residence Life team, each handing the new leaders an item unique to each House.

For many, the evening was a stress reliever with finals just a couple weeks away.

“I really just like seeing a lot of people commemorate the whole year and also spend some time with each other relaxing during one of the more stressful times in the semester,” said Casey Malone, a CLC for Cassells Residence Hall. “I think the House Collective was really good and I feel like this event was a good capstone.”

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