Welcome to my house

If you drive through the formal entrance to UD — underneath the archway and down College Park Avenue — you’ll see a quaint, blue six-person house. If you look closely, you might see six girls sitting on the front porch. We would love to say hi, but please, stay 6 feet away.

My five housemates and I live in the Core special interest house. Besides taking full advantage of our proximity to Brown Street and having the occasional deep philosophical conversation, the six of us will be promoting the Core program through events and outreach to the underclassmen. As a three-year program, Core promotes interdisciplinary ways of learning from the start of college through the first semester of junior year.

Bill Trollinger, director of the Core integrated studies program, recognizes the importance of the Core House to the UD community — especially in the midst of a pandemic.

“The Core program stresses the importance of working for the common good, and I am delighted that the students living in the Core House are determined to reach out to first-year students and bring them into the UD community,” Trollinger said.

Typically, the Core House holds events such as inviting students over to hear from a professor or faculty member. This year, my friends and I plan to hold COVID-safe events like informational Zoom meetings and outdoor meet-and-greets.

“I know that as a freshman, the support from upperclassmen really made me feel welcome and comfortable at UD,” Cara Daley, senior psychology major, said. “That is something that we feel is crucial to new students and want to safely provide them with that experience.”

It’s no secret that this semester will be different, but I know we are ready for the challenge. Here’s to a new semester!

To welcome the Class of 2024 Core students, the housemates created a video introducing themselves. Check it out below!