When I was a prospective student, every single Yalie that I met went on and on about how much they loved their residential colleges. At the time I didn’t quite understand the significance of colleges within a college or what made them so special. To be honest, I didn’t remotely understand how important they were to Yale students until I received my own college assignment.
When I arrived at home and opened my letter from Trumbull College, I finally began to figure out why everyone made such a big deal about whether they lived in Ezra Stiles, Jonathan Edwards, or Silliman. I belonged to a community within Yale where I would soon know most everyone’s name and they would know mine. The bond that one shares with their residential college mates is inexplicable. The best example I can provide is probably Harry Potter. Hogwarts students have endless pride for houses simply because they are in them, and the same holds true at Yale.
Instead of a Sorting Hat, we are randomly assigned to our respective colleges. According to the demographics, each college should be exactly the same. This is to say, there are probably roughly the same percentage of Californians, international students, and athletes in every college. Yet somehow, they are all remarkably different. Given any two colleges, one would be able to easily distinguish between their respective cultures and traditions.
I think this paradox is part of the reason we are all so fascinated with the phenomena surrounding residential colleges. I do not know why I was placed in Trumbull, but I feel as if I was meant to be a Trumbullian.
Yes, residential colleges are a way of assigning housing, but they mean much more than that. Colleges are somewhat of a lifestyle or an extension of each individual’s identity. For me, I live within Trumbull’s walls, but it is much more than a dorm. I call Trumbull my home, I am a Trumbullian, and I embody the memory of every past Trumbullian.
The twelve distinct college personalities are integral to the Yale experience. Perhaps even more wonderful than the colleges themselves, is the fact that they are all able to unite to form one Yale.
Note: Photos Coutresy of Maureen Lecaro and Victor Kang
