Changes in Honors Living

Stacey May

Historically McCaffrey has been first-year honors housing. This coming year McCaffrey and Horning Tower will be honors housing. McCaffrey will still be used for first-year students while second year students will be placed in Horning towers. 

Before Covid the Mount was working on creating an Integrated Living-Learning Community (ILLC) for honors students. The idea was that honors-only housing would give greater opportunity to participate in co-curricular social events open to all honors students.  

Dr. Sean Lewis director of the honors program, said, “The rationale is to continue to build honors community through a partnership with Honors and Student Life, and the ILLC should be a way of getting student ideas for co-curricular events off the ground.”  

Lewis said the Mount has never had honors housing for upperclassmen while he has been here but that in future years they are working towards having that as an available option.  

Students have mixed opinions about this change.   Madison Keys (C’28) is looking forward to living in Horning next year, because she has heard good things about it. Keys said, “I don’t really think [it takes away from upperclassmen]. There are so many other places for them to live. Maybe I’m wrong, but it feels like they have a lot more options when it comes to apartments, and there are two other towers still.”   

Gracie Smith (C’27) loved living in McCaffrey as a first-year student. Smith thinks this is a fantastic change that will help motivate students to join the honors program.  

Franc Snyder (C’28) is living in McCaffrey this year. Snyder reported, “I think it’s a good idea, but I don’t think everyone will take advantage of it. Most people want to room with their friends, but most people’s friends aren’t exclusively in honors.”  

Sofia Aguilar (C’26) is an honors student but never lived in honors housing. She said she did not see much of a difference between Pangborn and McCaffrey, and still connected well with her peers. Aguilar stated, “I think it is beneficial as a way for students to be more engaged and stay beyond their freshman year... as long as there is opportunity for upperclassmen to get other housing, I think it is beneficial.”  

Rhiannon Perry (C’26) thinks this is an interesting shift. She said, “This year, there are a couple sophomores in my apartment building, and it does feel like there is not enough, for lack of a better term, divide between the classes, or at least an upgrade for where we are living. I would be interested to see if there is still priority for juniors and seniors who do want to live in the apartments, and making sure they get an opportunity to be there before a sophomore is there, just because we have seniority.”  

Chiara Mazza (C’26) liked the community that honors housing offered her first year, but she did feel a bit disconnected from the other first-year students. Mazza stated, “I feel like it’s a little unfair that [the sophomores will] have the good tower, with the classroom and the laundry in it. I feel like it’s taking away from the people who have been here longer.”  

Laurence Annulis (C’28) loves the community honors housing has to offer. Annulis is going to live in Horning next year, and stated, “I’m excited to live in the apartments, but respecting that it is traditionally for juniors and seniors... we are going to go in and just make sure we are in good community with them.”  

Though the change that Horning would only be available to Sophomore honors students may slightly decrease housing options for juniors and seniors I think this will be beneficial for strengthening the honors community and providing an incentive to stay in the honors program.