Pieces of the Peace House, Pieces of Home

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When I think about being old and reflecting on my college years, “I think I will appreciate this snippet of my life, living in the Peace House. College never felt real until my sophomore year; until I lived here.” Photo Credit: Isabella Favazza

The Peace House has been my home for three semesters; which may not seem like a lot, but it is. Living in the Peace House is the longest I’ve lived anywhere outside of the home I had as a kid. Each year, students move from building to building, but the Peace House has managed to draw me back for another year. In the fall, it is humid and the lack of air conditioning coupled with the four flights of stairs is the worst. But as winter comes and one is able to look out of the frosted windows at the quad, sunshine or overcast, its beauty still shines. Even in the spring, living on the fourth floor holds its magic because the trees come into bloom right in front of your eyes and the squirrels dash from branch to branch, making them audibly rustle.
The Peace House sits on the very top floor of Dulaney, located inside of Mary Fisher. It overlooks the quad on one side and the ongoing construction on the other. There are three singles and three doubles, one of which is really just two singles connected by a door; housing a grand total of nine students. The closets are known for their spacious size. The bathroom is divided into two halves, one half having three toilet stalls, and the other having three sinks, one shower, one tub shower, and a plethora of cubbies for people to store their bathing equipment. There are two stairwells that lead up to the Peace House, one of which has a sort of bedazzled, colorful tapestry hung above the archway. At the end of the hall, room 406, a dorm room has been transformed into a common area, at least in name; the furniture has yet to come. When the furniture does arrive, this room will house a futon, a rug, two inflatable chairs, a coffee table, maybe some cacti or flowers, two desks, two desk chairs, a yoga mat or two, and several posters and pictures. The room will be a common area for weekly Peace House activities, such as art projects, movie nights, or support groups. The room will also work as a study room and even a recreational space that can be used for performance art, such as slam poetry or small musical gatherings.
To be the Head of the Peace House is something I do with pride. While I feel it is a position with no weight because the house works as a collective as opposed to a hierarchical structure, planning out events and seeing students come together as a community is something that touches my heart. The purpose of the Peace House changes every year and is decided by those who live in it. As of this semester, the focus has been on community engagement thus far. Future activities will aim to promote self-love and protection.
The following is our blue-print for the Peace House. Each week, members of the Peace House will meet once or twice in our new recreational space to work on small projects; each month the Peace House will do excursions or large activities that will tie into specific themes or upcoming holidays. The weekly meetings have yet to occur, due to the common area not being finished just yet. However, the monthly excursions are up and running. In September, Peace House members went to a nearby farm to kick off the school year with a fun day aimed at bonding activities. For the month of October, members have expressed interest in showcasing a documentary about Trans rights or meeting with David Heffer for a day to learn basic self-defense moves.
When I think about being old and reflecting on my college years, I think I will appreciate this snippet of my life, living in the Peace House. College never felt real until my sophomore year; until I lived here. Residents will come and go, myself included when I study abroad next semester, but the connections students build in this single hallway are tangible and lasting. My roommate, who I had to talk into living here and who considered this his last option in case he couldn’t live in Welsh, has since solidified his membership when he helped another resident clean up after they got sick in the bathroom. The Peace House is not just a set of dorms, it’s a community, and it will always welcome new members with open arms.

Isabella Cronin Favazza is a junior majoring in Peace Studies and triple minoring in Religion, Women and Gender Studies, and Professional Writing. She wants to write for the Q because she likes to write. In her free time, she likes to read, watch Netflix, and get Schwifty.

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