The sixth floor of Nassau Hall will accommodate students interested in TLCs.
Photo Courtesy of Student Affairs
On the sixth floor of Nassau and the 14th floor of Constitution, there stand communities of creative, passionate and welcoming students. In Themed Living Communities (TLCs), Hofstra students can create an environment they can live in and love. From gender-inclusive housing to rooms dedicated to gaming, TLCs offer a space for students to be unapologetically themselves.
“The TLCs originally were created to mirror what first-year students are offered within the Living Learning Communities, which are focused on academic areas, [and] allow them to continue in a similar community as an upperclassman,” said Chermele Christy, the assistant director of Residence Life.
TLCs are managed like standard residential floors, but inhabitants have the ability to be more than just a standard resident. When living in a TLC, students are required to hold two educational initiatives.
“Each room can pick their own theme, so right now, there’s a gender-inclusive room, there’s one for the gamers and one that call themselves the nerds,” said Emily Green, a junior journalism major and resident assistant (RA) of the sixth floor of Nassau. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be academic based.”
“An educational initiative can be anything that increases knowledge about the community’s area of interest, including hosting a discussion, creating a blog, screening a film or displaying thought-provoking artwork on the bulletin boards in the hallway on their floor,” Christy said.
So far this academic year, the self-proclaimed gamers and nerds have put on building-wide programs based on their themes.
The nerds held a Halloween Bash, where they made cookies, distributed candy and watched a Halloween movie.
The gamers put on a Super Smash Bros. tournament that was also well-received. The gender-inclusive TLC is organizing a program this semester, as they created a bulletin board last semester.
“Over the course of the past two years, the [Office] of [Residence Life] noticed fewer students seeking academic-based TLCs and thought it might be beneficial to allow the residents who want to participate in a Themed Living Community the option of choosing their theme,” Christy said. “The idea was to give the residents a sense of ownership about their living environment.”
“I think they definitely wanted to continue on with the whole idea [of] the [Living Learning Community] … where you could bring together people of the same common interests,” Green said.
“Anyone can be in a TLC … A fraternity or sorority can make a TLC, Esports can make a TLC, any club on campus; if you have four people that have a common interest, you can just be like, ‘All right, let’s make a TLC,’” Green said.
On the sixth floor of Nassau this year, 12 of the 26 residents are members of the TLC program. New residents are always welcome, and with housing applications right around the corner, it’s easy to take part in the process of becoming a member of a TLC.
“It’s just so enjoyable to see what [the residents] want to do and watch them bring it to life … and be someone to support them and help make sure what they want to accomplish comes true,” Green said.
This year, TLC room selection will be held on Friday, March 8.
Students interested must submit a housing deposit and application indicating the sixth floor of Nassau Hall or the 14th floor of Constitution as their top choice.
An additional TLC questionnaire must also be filled out detailing who the resident is, why they want to be in a TLC and what their ideas are. The applicant will then meet with Christy, along with the RA and Amber Hurt, the residential director of Nassau and Suffolk Halls.
To find out more about TLCs and how to become part of one, go to Hofstra.edu/TLC.
