St. Lawrence wouldn’t be St. Lawrence without the theme house communities. The theme houses each provide campus with their own distinctive goals, living styles, and personalities. Despite being quite different from one another, there are still shared characteristics among the themes which fit the desired living style of many students. Such shared characteristics within the theme house communities would be co-ed living, non-residential housing (i.e not a dorm, a house), student led, and contributing to campus and/or the Canton community in a way that resembles the mission of the house. Most theme house applications were due this past week (including The Dub, Greenhouse, Commons, OC, Black Student Union, Arts Annex, Powerhouse, La Casa, Habitat for Humanity, The Hub, and LIGHT House), while two are open until March 30 (Java, Campus Kitchens).

 A few students shared their experiences living in their theme houses, as well as what their application processes were like. Marly Davies ‘21 of LIGHT house says “I was drawn to the theme house community because it’s a fun and welcoming atmosphere! I ended up applying to the LIGHT House so I could be a part of this community while living with folks striving to be intentional together. Finding a home within this community has been integral to my comfort and enjoyment at SLU. 

Kalila Calame, a member of Black Student Union also mentions how she found a home within the theme community. “Whoever lives in BSU, we try to make it a family,” states Calame ’22, “and people describe it as coming home. Like a home away from home.”  She further explains that “one of the biggest things I looked for in a school was whether or not they had a BSU organization, especially at a predominantly white institution.”

Landon Urzetta ‘22, another member of LIGHT House, describes his first impression of theme houses and his application process. “I was super interested in theme houses while touring St. Lawrence because no other school had them, and I had never heard of living in a dorm that’s also a house. My freshman year I remember thinking about all the cool opportunities and energy theme houses had to offer and decided to apply to a few! I now live in LIGHT House which is centered around mindfulness and intentional living, and was attracted to this home because of how flexible the theme is. I can send out an email asking if anyone wants to go apple picking, sledding, hiking, plant potting, or painting; the list goes on and on. We’re able to be creative with what we do, and living with 9 other people has given me a family on campus that all live in the house for a reason, and it’s exciting to see how the house changes every semester.” 

Since there are quite a few options to choose from from when applying to theme houses, the process of applying and interviewing can feel daunting. However, Abi Todd ‘21 of Java House thinks it’s best to have fun and embrace spontaneous decisions.  She describes being a first-year going to Java, and says “I had always been Thursday night’s biggest fan, but initially I never considered living in the Java House. It seems obvious that having to work the shows would make them less fun – but that was not the case. If you love Java shows, I encourage you to meet the people who run them and if you’re lucky, live with them! Applying to Java was a decision I literally made ten minutes before the last possible interview slot. I knew one person’s name in the house on the night of my interview. Later that evening I found out that I was offered a spot and my SLU experience changed drastically ever since; strangers became lifelong friends, and I finally found my “place” at St. Lawrence. To any underclassmen out there that may feel anxious or overwhelmed when applying to theme houses, I encourage you to put yourself out there and apply – but more importantly trust your gut!” 

The theme house community is one of the many attributes of St. Lawrence which makes campus stand out from other colleges. Most unique of all about theme houses is that they’re not always the same. If someone has a proposal for a new theme, they have the opportunity to present ideas for a new theme, and if accepted will be transformed into a whole new living community. For those that have applied to theme houses already, have fun with interviews! It might just end up being one of your favorite SLU memories. As for those who are unsure of whether to apply or not, theme houses are always willing to chat about details related to their respective house even outside of application season (DM on instagram or send an email to a house member). If you think a theme house is a good fit for you, definitely apply and have fun with the process, and if you have ideas for a new theme, don’t be shy in presenting ideas to Residence Life!