About Stouffer

Stouffer College House, made of Stouffer Hall and Mayer Hall, stands as one of the strongest community atmospheres on campus. Stouffer is home to about 300 undergraduates, our House Director Amber Williams, Faculty Director Carmen Alvarez, Faculty Fellows Ericka Weathers &  Chaojun Wang,  and our amazing G/RAs (To find out more about our staff, please visit our staff page). Though no resident is permanent, our traditions and camaraderie live on with each passing year. 

Truly embodying the motto of "Nihil Domo Similius", a Latin knock-off of the Stouffer Food Company's "Nothing Comes Closer to Home", Stouffer is a place of lasting friendships, lively laughs, and a loving family that will always welcome you back.  

While Stouffer Stouffer sits atop Wawa and Stouffer Mayer is across the street, we maintain one unified community across the two houses.  

One of the crucial parts of our Stouffer community is the Steering Committee! Our official government of the House allows for ANY interested resident to host any event as long as it is approved by the others in the building, making Stouffer truly student directed. All house events are free for residents, from our Lunar New Year celebration, terrarium building, and our annual Stouffer Semi-Formal.  

August marks not only the start of a new school year, but also the famous Stouffer Outdoors Trip. An exciting day of canoeing gives students the chance to make friends before the frenzy of classes begin. Stouffer Outdoors starts the Stouffer experience off with an adventure! 

Wednesdays at 9 PM have become synonymous with Cookies. Thanks to our Faculty Directory and their amazing baking skills, residents unwind, chat, and indulge in their sweet tooth, making new friends or reuniting with old.  

Not only does Stouffer have a plethora of traditions, activities, and ways to engage, we also have spaces with foosball, ping-pong, pool and any number of board games. In warmer weather, basketball pick-up games on the Stouffer patio arise almost out of nowhere. And when winter is here, our fire pits are always the hot spot for s’mores! Our annual Stouffer Dutch Auction has become a staple and cherished activity.  

Our students come to know Stouffer College House not as just another dorm, but a place where they made a family that resembles no other. Nothing comes closer to home, except Stouffer. 

 

-James Schneider C'04

(updated June 2009 by Ryan Weicker, C'08) 

(updated Sept 2012 by Amanda Atkinson) 

(updated Mar 2016 by Colleen Cacace) 

(updated July 2023 by Meresa Garcia) 

 

College House Cup

Play for Pride

The College House Cup was a competition between the 12 College Houses at Penn (Gutmann had not opened yet). The House Cup is awarded to the House earning the most points through Penn Campus Rec intramural sports and College House Special Events. Students represent their house through competition and participation based events such as intramural sports, Penn Quizzo, Cake Wars, and Theater Performances, and much, much more.

https://www.collegehouses.upenn.edu/life/cup(link is external)

The competition culminated with a catered celebration and the awarding of the College House Cup at the end of the spring semester. Since the beginning of the College House Cup in 2004, Stouffer had won all but two years.

From the Intramural fields to Quizzo, Stoufferites took pride in working together to represent their House! Since this program ended via the pandemic, Stouffer began an internal House Cup competition between 3 teams across Stouffer and Mayer Halls. The teams are represented by our house colors (blue, green, and yellow). Check out our Traditional Events section to learn more!