Considering a First Look at Conn, Three Years in

Have you ever wondered what prospective students see when they visit Connecticut College? Like most other Conn students, I’m often kept up at night by this question. Do they find out about the horrors of cilantro night? Are they warned about the legion of skunks? Are they shown how far away South Lot is from any conceivable location? So many questions.

One February afternoon I decided to put these questions to rest, and I walked leisurely down to the Admissions Office in the hopes of tagging along on a campus tour. Tours start at 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. daily, but I guess the 1 p.m. tour was not a popular slot that day, as there were only two people on it, a high school senior and her mother. After asking the tour guide if I could join, we began by walking along Tempel Green and looping past Cummings. There was an art exhibit going on, and being an artsy guy I was down to stay and look at art stuff, but the guide brought us outside to describe the arts center without disturbing the occupants. We continued past Palmer, where the guide told the prospective student she could be “spending a lot of time during orientation,” a comment that cannot be overstated.

We then walked to Fanning, and I couldn’t help but notice the lack of comment on Bill Hall, perhaps the most unfortunately named, and designed, building in the entire Constitution State. Fanning and New London Hall were described in depth, however, and we walked through the first floor of NLH and looked at a couple labs in progress.

We continued past the dorms of Central campus, and the tour group continued to discuss Greek life presence (there is none) and the new Smith Game Room (RIP to Smith Dining Hall). I tried to stay quiet and let the tour guide do her thing, but she did ask for my input a few times. We then visited Harris and the Plex; we were supposed to view a dorm room in Morrison, but the door was locked, and the tour guide did not have her key. The guide noted that many first-years live in the Plex and highlighted its reputation as “living in a hospital,” which surprised me. I was also surprised that we visited Morrison and not the newly-renovated Hamilton, the least hospital-y of the Plex dorms.

Next up was Crozier-Williams. We entered through the back door to first appreciate the Sprout Garden. When the guide mentioned the moniker “Cro,” it took all my willpower to not interject by joking that real Conn students refer to the Student Center as “Willy.” This tour felt more personal than a normal tour, probably due to the attendance of two, which I hope added to its memorability. As someone who took a tour of Conn in high school and who does not remember a second of it—except that it might have been raining—I think that a memorable tour might have eased the college decision process.

The tour guide described the various uses of Willy, such as dance studios, late-night food, mail room, and offices. She then went into a description of the various academic centers and the Pathways system. I was glad she did not ask my opinion on that can of worms—as a junior, I have no idea where to even start when discussing Pathways. The next building was the library, and the different volume level floors were outlined, as well as the resources available to students in Shain. President Bergeron walked by at this time, and she told the tour members “come to Conn!” after saying hi to each of us. This school is my top choice, so I hope meeting the president helps my application.

We continued on to Blaustein, and the guide gave the typical, vague “collaboration and diversity” description of the Global Commons as we navigated the space-age first floor. We came out on the other side, overlooking Tempel Green. The tour was almost over, and we talked to the mother and daughter about Knowlton and the language dining hall in Freeman, as well as the chapel, as we passed by them. It was overcast and misty but warm, and the south side of campus looked very beautiful. I would certainly want to go here.

Back at Admissions, we said our goodbyes and I began the long walk back to Larrabee, another building left conveniently off the tour route. I thought the tour was just that, a tour of campus. Maybe it’s different because I already know all the buildings, but having gone on countless tours of campuses in my day, they blend together like nothing else. Before I left, I told the girl and her mom to go for a walk in the Arbo if they had time. I think even a small addition like that would go a long way towards making a Conn tour a more memorable one. Whether you think our school is different or boring, our tours should stand out.