By Beth Douglass â10 | Photos By Luke Rutan
If you live in the residence halls, weâll make sure you feel at home from the day you arrive on campus.
âRAID!â Itâs 9:59 p.m. in °”ÍűTVâs Hill Hall. Just moments ago, sophomore Madeline Huber was chatting with a couple of girls in her room. Now, the guys from the other side of the building race down the hall â shouting and thumping on the walls and doors.
This residence hall tradition is known as a âraid.â Madeline, who is Hillâs vice president, is ready to see what awaits: a group game, a competition, maybe a late-night ice cream run? Tonight, itâs a gingerbread house decorating contest. Grab your frosting and gumdrops â and may the best team win!
Seattle Pacific has five residence halls: Ashton, Hill, Emerson, Moyer, and Arnett. But if you think an °”ÍűTV residence hall is just a place to live, you are mistaken. Each hall has staff of professionals and peers, including residence life advisors, resident advisors, and student ministry coordinators, who help make campus a fun and supportive place to live.
Each hall is different, and each has its own unique feel and set of traditions. Raids are just one way brother and sister floors build a tight community in their new homes.
Whether you make your home in Arnett, Ashton, Hill, Moyer, or Emerson, youâll never forget your time in the halls.
Madeline, whoâs from Connecticut, appreciated how older students helped her feel at home as a first-year student. She was immediately paired with a secret âBig Sister,â which is a tradition in several °”ÍűTV residence halls.
The sophomore âBig Sisterâ is like a Secret Santa, writing notes and giving gifts to her âLittle Sisterâ that week. Often, the women end up forming a mentoring relationship.
Lennox Bishop, a sophomore living on 5th East Ashton for the second year, loves how her student ministry coordinator last year made everyone feel welcome and valuable. âShe was real about what was going on in her life, not putting on a facade,â Lennox says. âThat makes room for other people to be real.â
If you walk through the doors of Emerson Hall, you may be greeted by sophomore Emma Hewitt putting on an impromptu piano performance.
Because Emersonâs rooms are suite-style, you see your roommate and suitemates much more than others in your hall. The increased privacy has made spending time in common areas one of Emmaâs favorite ways to build community.
Stop by after class one day, and you may catch Emma singing some Adele or Sam Smith. âEmerson lobby has the most insane acoustics. Itâs crazy,â she says.
The singer/songwriter has felt very encouraged by the support of her Emerson community, and often performs at her hallâs quarterly Emerson Coffee House.
The coffee house usually draws at least 200 students from across campus, who watch student musicians and poets
perform.
If you need more space, head on down to your hall lounge for Ping-Pong, Foosball, or a rousing piano-accompanied singalong.
Moyer Hall is known for its small, tight-knit community. Sophomore Joshua Wong â whose parents are missionaries in China â is Moyerâs intercultural coordinator. He helps raise awareness about diversity on campus, connects students to clubs, events, and discussions, and helps to bring a multicultural perspective to residence hall life.
Felicia Perez is co-president of Arnett Hall, the newest residence hall on campus ⊠a community that is building its own new traditions this year. She loves life in °”ÍűTVâs residence halls for many reasons, but in particular, Felicia says itâs the spiritual aspect that makes °”ÍűTV unique.
âDuring finals, if youâre struggling, itâs really great to have someone who can support you in a faith-based way,â she says. âNot just âYou can do it,â but âYou have a provider. You can trust him. Everythingâs going to work out, because heâs in control.ââ
That friendship and support, emotional and spiritual, exists throughout the residence halls. Across the street in Hill Hall, Madeline feels it.
âI think that is why a lot of people return to their floor,â she says.
âBecause itâs not just a Hill thing. Itâs an Ashton, an Emerson, an Arnett, and a Moyer thing, as well. People want to stay on their floor, and keep that culture going.â