Hobart House, home of the Women’s Residential College, is the only all-female dorm at Northwestern. “Ho House,” as residents fondly call it, is a small dorm nestled in the sorority quad, which gives residents easy access to campus and downtown Evanston. Like all residential colleges, Hobart has a myriad of programs including faculty fellow firesides and excursions in and around Chicago. Though Hobart used to be called the Women’s Studies Residential College, the “studies” was dropped from the name to make it a more inclusive community – and now, women from a variety of schools and majors call it home.
“It's really small, and for some people, that's kind of a downside. People who are kind of more interested in a big social scene might not be as happy living here, but there is a really strong community of the people that do live in the dorm. ... I've met tons of really incredible girls that live here that remind me how awesome and smart and great girls can be. So I really appreciate that a lot. And I think some people feel that [being an all-female college] kind of limits the social scene, I guess, but I think guys are always welcome to come and hang out with us. So it's not too different from a normal dorm experience. … I would say the only downside is that not more people know about it. It's kind of a hidden gem, I think.”
Alaina Arthurs, SESP freshman
“I think Hobart is very open to everybody, and it’s a very liberal place. ... On Wednesdays we have munchies where somebody hosts them. The person who's hosting munchies can buy up to like $30 worth of food … and it's really a nice time to hang out with other people in the dorm and bond.”
Ericka Woods, Weinberg freshman
“Something that I really enjoy is the community that happens here, and I know that's what everyone says, but that's why you should live in a res college! I really like the fact that there are always snacks and everything is really clean. Logistically, amenities-wise, it's just a beautiful place to live. ... But I think the people here are easily my favorite part. You have friendships that are on your floor, and that's really cool. You all have automatic common ground, what with same-sex housing, and the ability to just hang with people and have it be cool is really nice.”
Nadalyn Bangura, Weinberg freshman
Reporting by Rachel Oh, Justin Curto, Trevor Lystad, Meg Pisarczyk, Robert Bell, Claire Toomey, Alena Prcela, Mia Zanzucchi, Victoria Alfred-Levow, Kate Salvidio, Elly Rivera, Rachel Epstein, Jakob Lazzaro, Yoonjie Park, David Gleisner
Photos by Rachel Oh, Justin Curto, Emma Kumer, Meg Pisarczyk, Virginia Nowakowski, Claire Toomey, Alena Prcela, Victoria Alfred-Levow, Kate Salvidio, Mia Zanzucchi, Elly Rivera, Rachel Epstein, Jakob Lazzaro, Brian Quistberg, Yoonjie Park, David Gleisner
Videos by Mia Zanzucchi, Emma Kumer, Meg Pisarczyk, Virginia Nowakowski, Helen Lee, David Gordon, Jesus Campos, Helen Lee, Elissa Gray, Gabrielle Bienasz, Andy Brown, Elizabeth Guthrie, David Gleisner, Poppy Shen
Editing by Libby Berry, Lila Reynolds, Maxine Whitely, Helen Lee, Virginia Nowakowski, Mia Zanzucchi, Jesus Campos, Isabella Jiao and Rachel Frazin
Design and development by Alex Duner, Tyler Fisher, Hilary Fung, Dan Hill, KK Rebecca Lai, Maxine Whitely, Sheng Wu and Katie Zhu
This project is open source. Check it out on GitHub.
Data provided by Northwestern University Residential Services