With the housing lottery just a few months away, it’s time for interested students to apply to Special Interest Communities (SICs). SICs allow students to live with other students who share similar interests as a way to foster a community through their housing situation. From the Mindfulness Community to the Video Game Community, there are a plethora of different communities to join — all of which have their own unique experiences.
Each SIC has an advisor and program coordinators. The advisors are Hamilton faculty and staff members not affiliated with residential life, while the program coordinators are students in the SICs. The advisors assist students in planning out goals for their communities in the beginning of the year and the program coordinators plan events to bring their community closer together.
Katie Rockford ’24 is the program coordinator for the Interfaith Community. Rockford says that “as the program coordinator for the Interfaith Floor, I am responsible for planning our floor events, keeping in contact with our faculty advisor, Jeff McArn, and updating my floor mates on inter-religious events on campus! I like my role because I get to learn about and plan events on religions I previously did not know as much about! For example, we learned about the religious origins behind Halloween and about St. Maroun’s Day, which is a religious holiday based in Lebanon.”
SICs also have Residential Advisors (RAs) like any other Hamilton College residence hall. Additionally, Residence Life provides each community a budget based on their size to organize programs. SICs are supposed to have at least one program per month, with the choice of opening up the programs to all Hamilton students to include those not living in a Special Interest Community.
The SICs being offered to upperclassmen for the 2022–2023 academic year are the Woollcott Co-op (a food-focused community where students cook meals for one another), the Video Game Community, the FERN (Friends Enjoying Rocks and Nature) Community, the Mindfulness Community, the Spiritual Living Community and the People Interested in Environmental Sustainability (PIES) Community.
The variety of SICs comes from students starting their own communities. Abby Lowder ’25 and her friends started the Spiritual Living Community with the aim of “providing a space for people of all experience levels, from well on their spiritual journey to people just looking to learn more about their horoscopes. [They] are looking forward to fostering a community that shares an interest in spirituality and a desire to learn more!”
Additionally, students who live in SICs have found that their experiences there have been incredibly rewarding. Jenna McCarthy ’23 stated that “living in Co-op has changed my Hamilton experience for the better. I have had the opportunity to meet new people and make new friendships that I know will last a lifetime. I have also improved my cooking skills, and I really enjoy making my own food rather than eating at the dining halls.”
The residence hall locations of these communities for next year are yet to be decided. Currently, SICs are located around campus in sections of Wertimer, Wallace Johnson, Dunham basement, 100 College Hill Road, Saunders, Babbitt, Root and Woollcott.
Applications for SICs were due Feb. 27, but applications will be accepted past this date; however, there is no guarantee that students will be accepted if they submit their applications late. The application can be found online in the student housing portal. Those who were accepted for SICs last year do not need to reapply. Students will be notified by March 4 whether or not they have been selected for a SIC. Students should direct any questions to Tanith Sherman, Assistant Director of Residential Life, via email at [email protected]. SICs are a housing option to consider for students who are looking for unique communities on campus.