Courtesy of conncoll.edu
On their first day of orientation week, first-year students at Connecticut College learned a new term: “Camel Moments.” Curious about the meaning (an encounter with Humphrey? A junior year abroad in the desert?), we gathered on Tempel Green and listened as a handful of upperclassmen shared their Camel Moments. These uniquely personal experiences—a fulfilling connection with a teacher, a deep laugh with new friends, or simply the feeling that they’ve mastered their new schedule and loved their classes— all represented moments when something clicked, and they could really call Connecticut College their home.
First-year students left that gathering in anticipation of their own Camel Moments. Many first-years are waiting for theirs, while others have already had theirs. “My Camel Moment was probably a special tradition we have on the sailing team,” said Lily Saffer, ‘27. “I’ve also had a few little moments that I can count as Camel Moments, but I don’t think they need to happen in your first year. They can happen at any time.”
Yet other students question whether the idea of a Camel Moment should be promoted so much. “I haven’t had my Camel Moment yet. It’s a cute idea, but I do think it’s a little forced on first years,” said Olivia Siegel ‘27. “Not every student has to have a Camel Moment,” she added.
In fact, a search of the archives of The College Voice and the Conn website reveals that mentions of “Camel Moments” don’t date back further than 2018, just five years ago. While these moments of feeling established at Conn are lovely, is the branding of a Camel Moment just a marketing ploy to put new students on the path to settling in at Conn faster?
Many students don’t feel the need to pinpoint one moment when Conn became their home, instead recognizing all the smaller moments along the way to feeling settled. “My Camel Moments so far have been mostly small but sweet things, like taking a leisurely walk in the Arbo or in the library. I don’t think only a big event can be a Camel Moment,” said Claire Kingsbury ‘27.
Upperclass students have varied perspectives, but starting at Conn during the peak of the pandemic didn’t seem to deter the Camel Moment. “My Camel Moment happened during my first semester right at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. I had the opportunity to perform in an alumni-written play, which was an amazing opportunity given the fact that almost all theater had been halted due to the pandemic. When I was standing in front of the audience and performing a monologue…I knew I had chosen the right place to be for my undergraduate education,” said Lara Beckius ‘24.
“I’ve had several small—but memorable—camel moments over the course of my time at Conn. My first one was probably the most magical of the bunch: during the fall of my first year, I was watching a movie outside on Tempel Green with a friend. The stars illuminated the crystal-clear sky above us, creating a beautiful backdrop for the film. Late into the movie, an orange, fiery shooting star crackled through the sky, directly above the screen. Everyone on the Green turned to their friends to excitedly talk about what they had just seen. This moment happened in 2020, where outdoor events were one of the only ways to safely connect with others amid the pandemic. Having such a special moment during a very challenging (and quite frankly, scary) time in my life was a small, but much-needed reminder that everything was going to be okay. For just a brief moment, all of us were enthralled by the magic of the shooting star, taken by wonder and curiosity rather than uncertainty and fear”, said Taylor Austin ‘24.
Whether you think the Camel Moment is one moment or a collection of smaller ones, one thing is clear: it is a widely experienced phenomenon among Conn students.
