About Stouffer
Stouffer College House, comprised of Stouffer Hall and Mayer Hall stands as one of the strongest community atmospheres on campus. About 300 undergraduates, 10 GAs (Graduate Assistants), Faculty Masters Phil and Amy Nichols, College House Fellows Annette Reed and Benjy Fleming, Juan Jimenez and Melissa Sanchez, House Dean Alison LaLond Wyant and her husband Brian Wyant call Stouffer Home. (To find out more about our staff, please visit our staff page). With the staff and fellow students, community members engage in a variety of social activities.
Truly embodying the motto of "Nihil Domo Similius", a Latin knock-off of the Stouffer Food Company's "Nothing Comes Closer to Home", Stoufferites come to love their building. Stouffer College House boasts the highest retention rate on campus, which is indicative of the lasting friendships and contacts that are formed by House members.
The typically underclassmen experience of Stouffer Hall is maintained and bolstered by the largely upperclassmen experience of Mayer Hall. Still, roughly two floors in Mayer Hall are dedicated to freshmen: the 5th and 6th Floors are about 50% freshmen. A Steering Committee, comprised of 24 students (two representatives from each floor/section), the House Dean and House Master is the official government of the House and funds the majority of activities. From GA-organized events like Friday Night Films, bike trips to Fairmont Park, and progressive dinners to an annual gala dubbed the Stouffer Semi-Formal, Stoufferites quench their appetites for food and fun.
The initial days in college may be marked with any number of emotions, but they also signal another: Stouffer Outdoors. This trip, spent in a camping atmosphere, allows students the opportunity to bond even before classes begin.
Wednesdays at 10 PM have become synonymous with Coffee and Cookies. Residents gather in the House Masters' apartment to unwind, chat and indulge their sweet tooth.
Fellows Nights provide the students with an opportunity to interact and dine with a prestigious member of the University of Pennsylvania Faculty. They are hosted on Thursday nights by one of our Fellows and are known to attract guests as famous as former University President Judith Rodin.
Stouffer College House produces a monthly newsletter, the Stouffer Tribune, which updates students on the buildings happenings. The newsletter has become a much anticipated source of puns, spoofs, and made-up news. Students are encouraged to submit articles of any length and content.
Every year, a dedicated set of marauders plunges into a paranoia-inducing game known as Assassins. Doing battle with a sock has never inspired so much terror, bliss, or looks of sheer confusion as one student creeps with his hands along a wall and another one attempts to eliminate his target.
Students may be found playing foosball, ping-pong, pool or any number of indoor activities. In warmer weather, volleyball and basketball pick-up games on the Stouffer patio arise almost out of nowhere. All of sudden, a handful to a dozen Stoufferites find themselves battling for every point. An annual barbecue and benefit auction on the Sunday of Spring Fling become a staple and heavily-attended activity. Stoufferites hail their dorm as the best College House in the University, the city of Philadelphia, and the universe.
Nothing comes closer to home, except Stouffer.
-James Schneider C'04
(updated June 2009 by Ryan Weicker, C'08)
