NEWS

Welcome and Networking Event Held for New Dorm Residents — Connecting Through Conversation —

Update: September 4, 2025

On Friday, August 28, the Housing Office hosted a Welcome and Networking Event for new dorm residents in Room 171 of the Troyer Memorial Arts and Sciences Hall. Roughly 160 new residents attended, enjoying the chance to meet new peers ahead of their upcoming dorm life.

The event kicked off with a senior resident serving as MC in English. His humorous hosting brought great energy to the room right from the start, gradually relaxing the new dorm residents who had been a bit nervous following the move-in orientation held just prior.

The purpose of the welcome event was simple:
"Talk to many people, get to know each other, and make friends."

Dormitory life is a meaningful shared experience that will span months or years, and this event was organized with the hope that today's encounters would kickstart deeper connections among residents.

The catalyst for interaction was a "Find Someone Who..." Bingo game.
Rules:
・Write your name in the center of your bingo card.
・Find people who match the topic in each square.
・Converse for at least 30 seconds.
・Write down the other person's name.
・You can only use the same person for up to two squares.

Topics included:
・"Can talk about a festival in their country"
・"Is most excited about one thing at ICU and can tell you what it is"
・"Can explain the meaning or origin of their name"
To vary things further, five different versions of the bingo card were created with 24 diverse, conversation-sparking topics.

However, the game progressed at a pace far beyond the organizers' expectations. Just 10 minutes into the game, more than 25 participants, matching the number of prizes prepared, had already completed a Bingo.

The organizers had spent significant time preparing, carefully selecting 24 topics to spark engaging discussions and designing five variations of the card. Watching them get filled so quickly brought a mix of surprise and slightly bittersweet feelings.

Yet, those feelings quickly faded at the sight of the participants' smiles:
—Smiles as students exchanged words for the first time, sharing stories about their countries, cultures, hobbies, and experiences.
—Smiles as they celebrated getting a Bingo.
—Smiles as they received their prizes.

Those smiles were the ultimate reward for all the time and effort put into preparation.

Since the game wrapped up earlier than expected, the MC quickly adapted — a twist not in the original schedule — inviting all the Bingo winners onto the stage to introduce themselves one by one.

Even after the event officially ended, many students lingered inside, around the venue, and outdoors, continuing their conversations. The fact that new connections kept forming long after the game ended was the very outcome the event aimed to achieve.

Through this event, the new dorm residents grew closer to one another, felt a sense of connection with senior students and peers, and took their first step toward dorm life.

The Housing Office will continue to support opportunities like this that help students build connections and begin their dorm life with confidence.