Living Learning Communities: A Pulse of Champlain Life

Beyond Harvest Weekend, the Pig Bowl, High Table Dinner, floor hockey tournaments, and the Ceilie are an ongoing collage of events known as Trent’s Living Learning Communities (LLCs). These Living Learning Communities are just another way to get involved at Trent University, and certainly contribute to the diversity and strength of Champlain College. Luckily, Champlain College is home to three of these communities – Active Living, Global Living and the newest to the College, La Maison Française. The benefits of living in one of these communities are unlimited, and each opportunity is what you make of it. The most important thing to note about LLCs is that you do not have to attend everything, but if you can, you will be met with intellectually challenging discussions with faculty, fun activities, and a range of conversations with your peers.

My experience with Trent’s Global Living Community (TGLC) was very positive. TGLC is a community composed of students who unite under an interest in global citizenship, diversity, and world affairs. Although I did not get to live in TGLC, the tower quickly became my new home. This is something that is not well known about Living Learning Communities. No matter what tower you’re in, you can participate. Even if you’re not in either community, I highly recommend joining in on some of the events to get a taste of something new. You will find something that interests you. Tim, one of the bloggers here, was the Don of TGLC in my year. He did a phenomenal job with TGLC programming and always made me feel included even though I was not registered in TGLC. He worked very hard and I can only thank him for allowing me the opportunity of so many fun discussions and friendships.

Some of the activities that TGLC offers are exclusive lectures and talks with visiting professors, workshops with Trent professors, many catered Seasoned Spoon lunches and dinners, games nights, and a true circle of friends. It is one thing to attend a Gaza teach-in, but it is another when you’re surrounded by the people whom you’ve talked about Gaza with all year. TGLC also serves an immense study benefit to review for exams and midterms with people who have attended the same activities as you, are studying the same courses, and who live close to you. Lastly, you may have one group of friends separate from your LLC, but you always have this bond with your LLC members. They are where your home is. Living in an LLC means that you will never be lonely and there will always be something going on in the tower that you can be involved in. Making these quick and immediate friendships that an LLC offers creates endless possibilities for fun for the rest of the year.

I know that the July 31^st application deadline for LLCs is approaching, so I highly recommend that anyone should join in on this positive experience. It is one of the experiences from first year that I would relive over and over again. The friendships that I have made, the knowledge I’ve acquired, and the unique experiences that TGLC presented truly makes Living Learning Communities one of the highlights of my first year, and certainly adds a huge impact to the pulse of Champlain College.