Housing Market 2020: Winthrop

Whether it be the lack of hallway doubles, the abundance of luxurious amenities, or the consistent social events, Winthrop has all that you can ask for and more. The warm, welcoming community Winthrop fosters will instantly create a home away from home. Winthrop House truly has it all.

By Margot E. Shang

All About Housing

Along with the beautiful exterior of Winthrop comes some of the best housing this campus has to offer. House Committee co-chair Christopher M. Altizer ’21 says, “You’re either getting a hallway single — majority get hallways single — or, they’ll put you in a room with a double connected to another double.” In addition to hallway singles and 4-man suites, there are also 6-man, three doubles, and a common room, suites that may be available to sophomores, depending on what rooms are left after the juniors and seniors choose. “The common rooms are huge,” HoCo co-chair, Becca H. Amesbury ‘21, states. Altizer adds, “The common rooms are massive. They’re ridiculously, shockingly, large common rooms.” Sophomores are not confined to one area of Winthrop; rather, they can expect to be spread all throughout the House.

By Iulianna C. Taritsa

In addition to the solid sophomore housing situation, Winthrop also prides itself on the vast variety of amenities it offers, including a library, gym, art room, music rooms, the Barren rooftop common room, Junior Common Room, and Senior Common Room, all spread out evenly between Standish and Gore Hall. The JFK suite has also recently been remodeled, so that now it is a room to host a variety of Institute of Politics events and faculty talks, among other options. Whether you feel like playing pool, watching TV, or hanging out with some friends at the Lion’s Den, Winthrop has it all. To satisfy those late-night cravings, you can head to the Winthrop Grille which is always lively, or if you even feel like meditating, you can find your zen in the Meditation Room.

By Ryan N. Gajarawala

Community

Not only are Winthrop’s amenities truly fulfilling, but the House also boasts a welcoming community. “This House really means a lot to us. It’s completely changed my college experience. The community here is unlike any community I’ve had before...I could sit here and talk for years about how much I love this House and how much the community has done for me,” Altizer says. The faculty deans have played an important role in creating the community Winthrop sees today. Whether it be hanging artwork around the House, bringing Insomnia Cookies around the House during finals week, or simply giving you a hug in the dining hall, they are constantly putting in an effort to further strengthen the community Winthrop already exhibits. It doesn’t just end there though, according to students. The energy that they bring is reflected off to everyone else, including the House staff, dining hall staff, tutors, and the students. “They care so much about making it feel like home for every student,” Amesbury states.

By Ryan N. Gajarawala

HoCo chairs Altizer and Amesbury both urge freshmen to not be afraid to talk to upperclassmen and to get involved with the House. “Please come talk to us; we’re so excited to meet you,” Altizer says. But Amesbury adds in, “Don’t be afraid to sit in the dining hall by yourself.” Altizer says, “This community is really strong because of the people and how well we interact with each other.”

One of the most popular events that Winthrop hosts is their annual Throptoberfest, which is a one-day event that occurs in Winthrop Courtyard. In the past, Throptoberfest had a bouncy house, candy apple making, a variety of fall-themed drinks and food, lawn games, and a fall ivy-themed photo area. “We don’t really have a big all-campus event...but Throptober fest is becoming that...It’s so much fun and a lot of people ended up coming,” Amesbury remarks. Additionally, every other Thursday night, Winthrop hosts Steins in the Lion’s Den. With food, drinks, fun music, and a selection of themes, Steins prove to consistently be a good time.

As for intramurals, Winthrop has been doing fairly well. They are doing better than last year and are consistently improving. Winthrop won the Straus Cup a couple of years in a row.

Overall, Altizer confidently says, “Winthrop is on an upward trend and we’re nowhere near plateau. Period.”

Your Questions, Answered

We sat down with the HoCo chairs to get the inside scoops of life in Winthrop.

What is the biggest misconception about Winthrop?

CA: People think…that this house is very sterile.

BA: Oh yeah…

CA: They’ll say that it looks somewhat like a hotel, but, to be honest, I don’t know why they’re complaining.

If you were to describe Winthrop in three words, what would they be?

BA: Energy, Community, Home.

What is the most special part of Winthrop?

BA: I think our faculty deans. We have interim faculty deans right now, just for this year, but they have done so much to build the community of this House. Whether it’s their open houses, which they have very frequently…

CA: There’s one happening right now.

BA: Or, they come to our IM games, which is just the cutest thing, they’re always around in the dining hall talking to us...They’ve really helped make this place so special.