Timothy Dwight College is my home away from home. Over the past two years, I’ve immersed myself in Red Lion spirit and made the most amazing friends a guy could ask for. All that came together when I helped plan the recent Timothy Dwight Sophomore Dinner.
Our theme for the night was “A Walk Thoreau the Woods with Dean Loge,” in honor of our soon to be departing Dean. Timothy Dwight’s John Loge, commonly known as the “Dean of Deans,” is stepping down at the end of the year after more than two decades as the college’s dean. He has been a staple of TD life and will be sorely missed.
My most cherished personal memory of Dean Loge occurred during last year’s TD Housing Draw. After a long night of my class selecting rooms, I helped Dean put back some floor plans of the college in his office. I turned to leave, and Dean, a man of famously few words, said, “You’re a good man, Alex. A good man.” Compliments from those you truly respect are forever treasured, and this would be among them.
The dinner’s theme was meant to celebrate Dean and his penchant for nature (he teaches a nature writing class at Yale and his weekly Notes and News emails always feature something nature-y). So, we planned out a meal of sustainable-farm-to-table food items (along with a sundae bar) and decorated the dining hall with a beautiful paper tree and nature slideshow.
The dinner included good food and even better company. After the meal, we were fully initiated into TD with the bell ceremony (sorry, the details are secret). We closed events for the night with a speech by keynote speaker Dean Loge. His short speech on Thoreau included a costume change and years of wise advice passed down.
The official admissions line is that you’ll be happy in whatever residential college you’re placed in. That may be true, because I can’t even begin to imagine my Yale experience without the culture, traditions and people of Timothy Dwight College.
