-
There are twelve dormitories at Hotchkiss – six girls dorms and six boys dorms. Dorms range in size from 28 to 55 rooms, and each dorm has its own character. All dormitories have common rooms for relaxing and dorm gatherings. Individual dorm rooms are comfortable and well maintained with enough space for the bureau, bed, desk, and two chairs provided by the School, and many have sufficient space for additional furnishings. All rooms are wired on a per-student basis for both telephone and data connections. While a majority of the rooms are singles, many students will have a roommate for at least one year.
Faculty members and their families (including pets) are a regular part of dorm life. They live in faculty apartments on each floor of the dormitories or attached to the dorm. “One of the highlights of last year,” says history teacher Tom Flemma, “was when the girls on the floor showed up at our door asking to walk our new puppy, Sutter.”
-
The overall student to dorm faculty ratio is 15:1, and in some cases, your dorm parent may also be your advisor. Resident dorm faculty get to know each student who lives on the floor, and these teacher-student friendships are among the most meaningful of all of your Hotchkiss relationships.
Proctors serve a critical role in helping the School’s younger students develop into effective learners and community members. Proctors are seniors selected for their leadership and ability to serve as role models for other students. In each dorm, proctors live, work, and play side by side with their floormates. As one student suggests, “Lean on your proctor – they’re peers you can always call on.”
While there are clear rules of behavior in the dormitories, corridors are characterized by an easy familiarity and comfort. Dormitories are first and foremost a place of friendship. It may be through dorm rivalries like the Tinker-Coy Olympics. It may be through the American history study group you and your dorm neighbors create. It may be because you got up for morning yoga together every day, or it may be because of that spontaneous trip to the local diner your dorm parent organized. It may be the nightly post-dinner volleyball games or the superb “mud-sliding conditions” on the lawn outside your dorm. It may be the nightly “dorm feeds.” But most likely, it will be all of the above that turns your dormmates into friends.