Integrated Learning-Living Communities

By Beth Hart

The WISE ILLC cookout on August 26 was a huge success. We were able to feed around 50 WISE freshmen and introduce ourselves in order to get to know each other. Everyone played games, signed a WISE sheet sign, ate lots of food, and talked with each other to foster a closer bond. The bonds we created fostered welcoming and community with one another.

It was exciting to see the WISE freshmen after their first week of college. They had already experienced a little of college life and they were able to ask us any questions and come to us with any problems they encountered during their first week. We were able to provide advice and offer possible solutions to the problems they were experiencing. Recalling our own experiences as freshmen and utilizing our memories to provide solutions helped the freshmen immensely. They were excited to learn from us and get to know us in the informal environment we provided.

We were also able to share the ideals of community that UD embodies so well. We encouraged the freshmen to talk with each other about classes or their general experiences, and additionally ask for study help from one another. One of the benefits of being in the WISE-ILLC is that you are living with women who have similar majors and you are in extremely close proximity with one another. Academic help is not far away and the girls are able to foster a strong bond and community with one another. Encouraging the freshmen to interact with each other established the beginnings of a community-centered bond throughout the year.

The cookout was a huge success and everyone was able to relax and have fun while gaining valuable college life and experiences. While the women were beginning to become friends, within a few months after the cookout we observed even closer bonds between them. The ILLC fosters these bonds and creates life-long friendships through community.