Every night at 9:57, I hear the noise levels begin to rise in the common room, I hear Baxter’s front door open and slam shut a few times and I hear footsteps walking down the halls. The silence that overwhelms study hall has concluded, and it is my cue to step into the common room and begin checking girls in. By 10:00, we are munching on our favorite dorm snacks including monkey bread, bean dip or pumpkin butter cake, chatting about the latest Tabor news and excitement in our lives that has surfaced over the course of the day.
Baxter is a lively dorm that is currently the home to 26 sophomore, junior and senior girls. The dorm parents treat us as if we are a part of their families, and our four dorm dogs get more snuggles than my own dog gets at home (that is pretty hard to beat, if I say so myself).
Sophomore year was my first year at Tabor, and I was placed in Baxter. I was close with my proctors Andrea and Kat, and I looked up to them, I asked them for advice and I loved hanging out with them after study hall ended each night. Although timid at first, I knew soon into my sophomore year that I wanted to fill their shoes my senior year and be a proctor. Junior year came along and Kat again was my proctor. I spent every night after study hall in her room, and we traded details of our day, we shared funny stories and we vented to each other. She soon became the person I confided in, and I (although she has graduated) still consider her one of my closest friends. I was again reminded why I wanted to be a Proctor in Baxter, my home of two years: I wanted to be a confidant, I wanted to listen to the girls and give them advice, and I wanted to expand on the community that was built in Baxter during my sophomore and junior years
Being a Proctor in Baxter is so rewarding because I am able to become close with so many girls in my dorm who I may not have been friends with if they didn’t live in Baxter. It’s also exciting to see the girls’ various accomplishments outside of the dorm: who recently gave a chapel talk, who scored in the girls’ soccer game and who starred in the fall drama. Baxter girls love supporting each other, and it is so rewarding to see how much excitement builds around the various Baxter girls’ accomplishments.
My co-Proctor, Marissa, and I work to build a community by asking the girls anonymous questions that they have come up with during 10pm check-in. These questions range from “do you think the dorm is haunted?” to more serious topics asking how to deal with friendship issues. This gives us all a break from our busy days to hang out and learn more from each other. Additionally, we have “Baxumaura” mixers with the boys dorm, Matsumaura, up the hill. We recently had a Halloween mixer at Matsumaura, and these gatherings are yet another way to change up the routine and become closer with other boys here at school.
As my senior year progresses further, I hope to build on what I have already learned about being an effective leader and I hope to build upon our dorm culture. Mostly, though, I can’t wait to see and hear about the future accomplishments that the Baxter girls achieve.
