OUS and First Gen students at one of many family dinners in La Casa.
Across from Case Library is a beautiful red house. Just last year, it was known as La Casa Pan- Latina, a house where students could live as well as immerse themselves deeper into language and cultural study. La Casa Pan- Latina has taken up residency in the 1934 house and fortunately the OUS and First Gen Programs were able to get their hands on this amazing house. The house name has now been shortened to “La Casa” and at any time of the day you can find students doing homework, cooking, watching a movie, or even just talking and laughing together. Nights are filled with all sorts of inclusive events like family dinners, connecting students from all class years, de-stress nights where art materials and nice snacks are provided and the occasional Zumba and dance parties! Also in this house are the offices of OUS Directors, Frank Frey and Frank Kuan, Administrative Dean, Drea Finley as well as the office of the OUS program coordinator, Salote Tenisi, which allows students to easily get in contact with any of them! La Casa also has space for an amazing library, where students are often able to locate and borrow textbooks that they need for class. A first year described La Casa as his, “favorite place at Colgate. I don’t know where I would want to spend my time if it wasn’t for La Casa” he said. A senior also said, “the family dinners at La Casa have been some of my favorite nights of the year. It’s so great to have everyone come together in a shared space that we all know and love”. For the OUS and First Gen students, La Casa is more than just a building, it is truly a home away from home.