Being Part of the Community at the College of Saint Mary Magdalen

The foundation of our community life is the liberal arts education and our Catholic institutional identity. It is these which attract students to our campus for study. Initially, students are united, at least circumstantially, by the common desire for a liberal education and the normal activities which make up our life at the College: study, prayer, work, and recreation. As time goes on, this initial bond is further secured and deepened by the personal affections that develop, in a word, friendship.
Time tests these friendships and, in the end, it is the decisions made by the members of the community which define the life. The degree to which students respond to the liberal education determines the degree to which the community becomes a real community of learners, and the degree to which they answer “yes” to the call of Jesus Christ determines its Catholicity. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI, “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction” [Deus caritas est, no. 1].
 
Residence Life
Just as the family is the original cell of society so residential life is the cell of our student life. We attend the College of Saint Mary Magdalen to pursue the Truth and to learn about our Catholic faith. As time passes and these realities take root in our souls, they impress themselves upon the “stuff” of our daily lives: we become aware of choices we never knew we had to make, and our lives become lived in the larger context of our vocations and apostolates. All the while, friendships are fashioned, and these tend to endure because of the common goals which emerge: wisdom and holiness. Both are lifelong pursuits, and as we do pursue them, those friends who encourage us, challenge us, and support us in the pursuit of the One who is “the way, the truth, and the life” become some of our greatest treasures.
 
The Men's Residence
St. Joseph's Residence houses the men on campus. The residence houses up to eighty students. Each spacious room is carpeted, has two private bathrooms, wardrobes, beds with roll-out drawers, and bookshelves. Each room can accommodate several students.
 
In addition, St. Joseph's has a common lounge, game room, several coin operated washers and dryers, an exercise room, and most importantly a private chapel in which the Blessed Sacrament is reposed.
 
The game room includes an air hockey table, foosball table, and pool table. In addition the game room contains a kitchenette.
 
The exercise room includes a treadmill, free weights, and a bo-flex machine which the students may use free of charge.

 

The Women's Residence
St. Mary's Residence houses the women on campus. The residence houses up to eighty students. Each room is carpeted and has one private bathroom which includes a bathtub. The rooms also include wardrobes, beds with roll-out drawers, a chest of drawers bookshelves, and desks. Each room can accommodate up to four women.
 
In addition, St. Mary's has a common lounge, kitchenette, several coin operated washers and dryers, an exercise room, and most importantly a private chapel in which the Blessed Sacrament is reposed.
 
The exercise room includes a treadmill, free weights, and a bo-flex machine which the students may use of free of charge.
 
Intervisitation
Intervisitation between the men and women in the residences is strictly prohibited.
 
Residence Life Directors
At many schools, the residence directors administrate procedures and enforce rules. Oftentimes they make an appearance only when a student seriously or repeatedly violates a policy. At the College of Saint Mary Magdalen, the Residence Life Directors (RLD) are much more. Although not formal teachers in a classroom, they are present to students every day during their four years of undergraduate liberal education; they encourage their residents to get the most out of all aspects of the College by instituting formal programs, offering sound counsel, and living a life worthy of the Gospel.
 
Residence Assistants
There are two Residence Assistants (RA) in each dormitory. As the name indicates, RAs help the RLDs in their role as leaders of the residences by upholding policies and procedures, helping to implement and administrate formal programs, and striving to lead by their own example.
 
Events
the college hosts numerous exciting events on its campus and plans others throughout the New England area. Past Events include:
The Winter Formal
The Halloween Dance
The Christmas Dance
Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, M.A.
Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, N.H.
Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker
Handel's Messiah
Granite State Symphony Orchestra
Hiking in the White Mountains
Visit to the Atlantic Ocean
Highland Games
NH State Fair
Thanksgiving “Turkey Bowl”
Manchester Monarch’s (L.A. King’s AHL team) Hockey game
New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jay’s Double AA Team)
March for Life in Concord, N.H.
March for Life in Washington, D.C.
 
 
Service Programs and Leadership Training
We challenge our students to do a lot, and it requires a lot out of them. While carrying a full class load, they also participate in service programs which include leadership training. These programs range from grounds-keeping to teaching assistants, from administrative positions in our offices to civic programs which take them to the larger community of New Hampshire and the diocese of Manchester.
 
Campus Service
Campus Service was originally founded as a way for students to help with the upkeep of the buildings and campus grounds. Since its inception though, campus service while remaining true to its roots includes, at the same time, professional and academic training. It includes positions such as: Teaching Assistantships, Newsletter photographer, Choir & Choral Singing Assistant, and information technologies support staff; and training in nearly all of our administrative departments: facilities, food service, events planning, admissions, and advancement.