A few weeks into their move across quads, Fisher Hall “Fishermen” living in Zahm Hall have begun to settle into their new home.
It has been almost a year since the Fisher community was informed they would be moving to Zahm for two years. In an interview with The Observer, hall vice-president sophomore Tommie Phillips reflected on the disappointment he felt when he heard the news.
“There was an announcement that someone from the Office of Student Affairs would be fully meeting with all the Fisher guys in the chapel, and [...] there was almost a sense of foreboding that we knew what was about to happen,” Phillips recounted. “[We were] just in shock, a lot of uncertainties surrounding the situation, a lot of questions. But later on, that turned into an appreciation for the dorm itself.”
Another Fisher vice-president, junior Brian Maron, said he felt differently about the announcement.
“My initial reaction honestly wasn't too negative, because I was happy that our community was staying small and that we were staying together. One thing that I hold very close and very dear to my heart, is the community and the small size of it, I think allows us to have a very tight knit community. And I was happy we were able to keep that together,” Maron explained.
Now living in a new building with their old home having been razed, Phillips stressed that dorm events have been crucial in making this tight-knit Fisher community “better than ever.”
“We've been having great attendance at all the events, and even introduced new ones, such as grill outs, where we invite off campus seniors, and they all come,” he said. “I feel like we know that this is such a crucial time for our dorm community, because our whole community isn't just the physical building.”
Maron said he thought the transition has been as smooth as possible.
“I think the community has adapted really well, and obviously the upperclassmen who have been in Fisher and understood the community that we had there are able to help ease that transition much better,” Maron said.
Phillips emphasized the physical building itself is an improvement from Fisher.
“I will say the water tastes better, and the showers are an upgrade,” he said.
Maron echoed Phillips’ evaluation of Zahm.
“The building itself is much nicer,” he said. “The facilities are great, much better gym, much better showers.”
Phillips also noted that the physical layout of Fisher and Zahm are similar, with long hallways that help create a social culture throughout the dorm, as opposed to just in specific sections. Maron’s only complaint was that the larger building made things feel more spread out.
Phillips and Maron both explained key dorm traditions such as the Fisher “car smash” and the Fisher Regatta will continue to be held this year and for the foreseeable future. Traditions for freshmen within the dorm community have continued as well including the Fisher naming ceremony, where freshmen are given their Fisher nicknames, and the Fisher oar ceremony, where they are given oars with the signature “F” on them.
Junior Fisher resident Adam Akan emphasized how important these traditions are to the dorm.
“We’ve made sure to keep a lot of Fisher culture going and even renamed quads based on what they would have been called in Fisher. Obviously, it’s hard, especially with freshmen, but everyone who came over is making sure to emphasize we’re still Fisher and that a new building doesn’t change that … The freshmen are buying in, and that’s everything we could ask for.”
Maron also lauded the freshmen for embracing Fisher culture.
“I’ve just got to give credit to all the freshmen,” he said. “They've really embraced the community and really have the Fisher pride, despite not being in the building. They’ve still come to embrace it really well, and that, I think, is really gonna help us hold the community together.”
In two years, Fisher residents will move into Coyle Hall, which is currently being constructed on the former site of Fisher. Phillips said although he will be living off-campus senior year, he is excited to visit friends in the new dorm.
“I feel like just having a building in general right there will be better than the current state,” he said. “It is definitely bittersweet. I went to the Rock the other day, and just seeing that empty patch where Fisher used to be was definitely a noteworthy site.”
