Tag: grove house

Image of the Grove House on the campus of Pitzer CollegeImage of the Grove House on the campus of Pitzer College

7 Reasons Why the Grove House Basically Completes Your Life

Let’s be real for a second… Pitzer College’s Grove House basically completes your life. Here are just seven of the reasons why.

 

1. The homemade sandwiches – Kalamata olive bread, sun dried tomato pesto, caramelized onions, and a fried egg over easy – all made with love by your friends who work in the kitchen. Seriously, how many other lunch offerings at the 5C’s can compare?

 

Grove House Sandwich

 

2. Groove at the Grove – Friday nights are often filled with music and dancing outside of the Grove house. Student bands and DJ’s perform and everyone is invited to the dance party.

 

3. The Womyn’s Center upstairs – This is where the Feminist Coalition (Pitzer’s oldest club!) meets once a week. Plus, there are a bunch of cool feminist books up there which have been collected over the years. And… it’s also a really cozy place to study.

 

4. It’s the best napping spot on campus – Seriously. If you need a break from studying, bundle up in one of the thick blankets that float around the house and lie down on the big couch upstairs.

 

Outside View of Campus from Inside the Grove House

 

5. Storyslams – These events are like poetry slams, but with stories. Everyone is invited to stand at the front of the living room and tell a story based on a theme. There is something so mesmerizing about listening to stories, and the event is a great way to get to know your fellow Pitzer students.

 

6. THE COOKIES! A legend in Southern California, the Grove House’s homemade cookies come free with lunch. Plus, if you work at the House, you’ll get to experience the joy of cookie dough, too 🙂

 

cookies

 

7. The community of Pitzer – Transitioning into college can be isolating, especially at first when you don’t know many people and you are adjusting to living away from home. Fortunately, the Grove House fosters a community that is open to all – and one that is supportive, kind, and welcoming. By working a couple of lunch shifts in the kitchen, going to clubs that meet in the living room, and doing my homework on the porch, I found my family at school.

 

These are just a few of the reasons why I love the Grove House. What are your favorite things about it? Comment your answers below.

 

Posted by Livvy Feeney ’18, Sociology

Feeney, Livvy

Meet Livvy ’18!

Hello hello! My name is Livvy and I’m a student tour guide at Pitzer College. I’m stoked to be contributing to this blog with posts about my experiences as a Pitzer student. So here is a little bit about me!

12003415_1113810008648924_8169937835823253951_n

  1. I’m a sophomore living in Mead (the apartment style residence hall on campus covered in colorful murals).
  2. I’m from Boulder, Colorado so the mountains feel like home to me.
  3. I’m (potentially) a Sociology major with a dance minor… and maybe some gender studies thrown in the mix!
  4. You can usually find me reading a book in the shade on the Mounds, making a yummy fried egg sandwich while working at the Grove House (our sammies are seriously legendary), attempting headstands in a yoga class, having a spontaneous dance party, or trying to dismantle the patriarchy in a Feminist Coalition meeting.
  5. On the weekends, I like to explore outside, whether it’s rock climbing in Joshua Tree, hiking in the desert, or playing in the waves at a beach. I usually go on these trips with Pitzer Outdoor Adventures Club!

11891986_10205609156441447_6791509044496309546_n

When I think about, Pitzer has played a huge part in shaping who I am as a person. I can’t wait to share my stories of Pitzer with you! <3 Livvy

Posted by Livvy Feeney ’18, Sociology

Feeney, Livvy

The Heart of Pitzer’s Campus

It’s More than Just a Delicious Cookie.

You may have heard the story of how the grove House came to Pitzer’s campus in 1970. How Pitzer students fought for it’s preservation, and purchased the home in auction for $1. You might have heard exclamations of joy and passion over the mouth-watering food the kitchen puts out. Even a tantilizing description of an oozing fried egg sandwich and warm, gooey, double chocolate mocha cookie for lunch. All of this is true, but the Grove House is so much more than just that. it is a home. It is a refuge. It is a center of community, connection, and activity.

Grove 1
Vintage pic of the Grove House

As a first-year student in college, I had difficulty finding comfort in a time of immense transition. I often felt isolated, even though I had the most lovely suite of girls who remain my best friends to this day. I sought comfort in the outdoors, as I was familiar with Southern California, having grown up in Santa Barbara, but this often took me off campus. One of the first Thursdays of school, a bi-monthly event entitled Story Slam, was held in the living room of the Grove House. Modeled after “The Moth”, story slam brings students together to share stories of any nature. A theme is presented for each evening, and anyone can choose whether they would like to share or not. SUddenly, I felt a sense of connection to a large group of Pitzer students, many of which I did not even know their name. I began spending more time in this home, trying out the infamous sandwich combinations, writing essays upstairs in the Womyn’s Center, reading on the porch, and making connections with new people each day as we shared this incredible space with one another.

Grove 2
Another vintage pic of the living room inside the house

Since these first months, I have spent increasingly more time in this home. I now work in the kitchen, serving breakfast two mornings a week. I am an active member of the Grove House Committee, the club that plans logistics of the events that happen in the house, and works to preserve the 112 year old home. Many of my other various club meetings happen in the house, and I continue to do my work in the nooks throughout the downstairs and upstairs of the house.  When prospective students ask, “Why Pitzer?”, the importance of this community center is always the first thing I speak of. This community has given me constant support during my two years here, and I can attribute a large part of my personal growth to the people and activities the community has connected me with.

Posted by Casey Venturelli ’16, Dance and Sociology

Casey Venturelli Tour Guide