Aspects of Humanities House:
in the words of the sophomore
class of 2018-19
Community
Humanities House provides opportunity to engage in activities pursuing social development. Learning communities allow students to feel connected to their school and their peers. Humanities House allows students to find others with similar interests despite being from differing major programs. Humanities House visited Four Arrows on the UConn campus, where there were various types of activities for the group to partake in. The community worked to improve, grow, and develop the relationships between its members. As a learning community, team building exercises emphasized the completion of collaborative tasks. Students reflect on the importance of effective communication within the group to be able to achieve success. Movie nights consist of watching films and building connections among members through expressing their opinions on the film's subject matter or discussing the enjoyment value of the film. Events for Humanities House also include performances at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts. The Moscow Festival Ballet production of "Swan Lake" displayed why the powerful plot is considered one of the greatest classical ballets of all time. Recently Humanities House enjoyed a Red Hot Chili Pipers performance, which was a Scottish rock extravaganza.
Academic
Upon joining Humanities House, all students are required to take a one credit course: UNIV 1820, Humanities House Connections, for freshmen, and UNIV 3820, Leading the Digital Humanities, for sophomores. These classes both meet once a week for fifty minutes. UNIV 1820 focuses on fostering connections between Humanities House members and providing assistance in becoming acclimated to UConn. It also serves to strengthen the critical thinking and conversational skills of all members. UNIV 3820 does not have the same goals as UNIV 1820, but builds upon the skills fostered in the previous course. Returning members can expect to create podcasts, write blog posts, and update the website as needed. These classes are taken in the fall and spring semesters.
Residential
Humanities House is a Living and Learning Community. All members of Humanities House live on the same floor and all residents of the floor are members of Humanities House. This enables a true sense of community to develop among the members of Humanities House, and makes it possible for there to be community experiences beyond those of the learning community seminar such as movies and on and off campus activities and social events. Being in a living and learning community such as Humanities House can make a positive contribution to one’s experience as a first year student at the University of Connecticut by providing members with a preexisting structured social circle.