For many, living in residence is a rite of passage for living out the full university experience. Many of those admitted to residence are from overseas, from other provinces, or merely an hour’s drive away—but they all seek the unique experience that comes from living on campus. At Victoria College, there are five different residence buildings that students are able to choose from: Annesley, Margaret Addison, Rowell Jackman, and Upper and Lower Burwash. Each of these buildings provide a different experience, but there still remains a common factor that links these different communities together.
A larger community exists outside of the internal workings of each residence. The residents of buildings on campus create neighbourly relations with each other, thus forming larger, external relationships on campus. This inside community is turned inside out at events that are hosted by residence buildings, like open mic nights and pub nights outside of campus.
On January 21, Middle House from Upper Burwash and Bowles-Gandier from Lower Burwash hosted the first Vic pub night of 2016 at O’Grady’s Tap and Grill on 171 College St. Residence students at Vic, representing their houses, independently host these events throughout the year. Pub nights like this one gain popularity through social media, banners, and word of mouth in residence buildings and the dining hall.
At pub nights, residence and commuter students alike thrive in a social and inclusive atmosphere. First-year student Maia Kachan, who attended the “Welcome Back” pub night on January 21, stated, “I think people come out to these events because it’s a chance to relax and loosen up after stressful time in school. People enjoy this more organized social activity, and it gives people the opportunity to meet others that they would not normally interact with.” Pub nights allow for a break in the tension and stress of school and residence life, as individuals split and come together. Pub nights typically occur once a month.
Residence is a fascinating concept. There are hundreds of students housed in old- and new-styled buildings, each building new to each student (minus the few returning students). In their new spaces, students collaborate or clash with their roommates and personalize their new abodes. With new spaces and new situations, difficulties arise. Regarding her new learning and living experience, Kachan said, “I’m learning to share personal space and balance each others’ wants and needs.” Roommates, although often a friend by default, can sometimes negatively affect the way a student lives and grows in their residence communities. A student who wishes to remain anonymous stated, “My relationship with my roommate isn’t what I thought it would be. I sometimes feel uncomfortable in my own room. It has definitely impacted how I have alone time—at home it was in my room by myself, [but] now I have to share this alone space with a stranger.” On the other hand, living in a small community allows for quicker and more accessible friendships.
The strange normalcy of living with such a new and large group of people can be helpful when trying to find a place as a Vic resident. Pub nights do an excellent job of creating larger communities that branch off from the smaller communities existing within residence buildings. At these events, club members, commuters, and residents of Victoria College all mingle and converse, creating a small community inside a large city.
