On the first night, I received a GroupMe notification: “Don’t go anywhere after checking in because we’ll be having MANDATORY FUN immediately after.” So ominous. I had no idea what to expect. Mandatory fun seemed like an oxymoron.
I ran to the first floor with the 89 other cherubs for the 10 p.m. check-in. As I passed the giant brown doors that led to the dorm’s Great Room, I saw a spacious two-story, warmly lit room with an exposed-brick wall, a piano, and a couple of couches and tables. I still couldn’t understand why this room was so “great.”
As we packed into its lower level, eager to find out what “mandatory fun” entailed, the community and academic associates announced it was the 17th birthday of my new friend, Grace Lu from Weston, Connecticut. No way! She hadn’t told anyone. Everyone cheered and spontaneously sang “happy birthday.” My heart warmed as Grace smiled and giggled. I knew she felt valued on her special day.
As I struggled to balance multiple assignments, I always headed to the Great Room when I needed a place for support. I felt seen when cherubs would pace around helping each other workshop their stories or asking the CAAs for advice. I wasn’t struggling alone in my room, but accomplishing each story alongside my peers.
Miraculously, the most memorable karaoke nights, dance parties, watch parties and “Jeopardy!” games happened when I was feeling the most stressed. I wasn’t worrying about the fate of my stories when dancing and off-key belting the chorus of “Mr. Brightside” on the worn-in wooden floors.
Soon enough, “mandatory fun” sounded enjoyable, not intimidating. I found myself sprinting down the stairs to reserve a seat on the brown couch to hang out or for “Cherubs Got Talent.” I reserved a front-row spot for a performance by Chicagoan Kieran Blake, who played “Hurt,” the Nine Inch Nails song covered by Johnny Cash. His guitar and vocal rendition received first place and a standing ovation.
The room itself is unlikely to be featured in Architectural Digest. But I now realize that the people make it deserving of the label “Great.”
