Residence Hall Community Builds Friendships in Faith

The blue letters cut out of construction paper and arranged to greet visitors as they step off the third-floor elevator in McCarthy Hall are not merely decorative. They announce a mission to grow in faith and spirituality developed by the students who call the floor home.

"We asked everyone on the floor what their definition of spirituality was," said Sharice Clough, an ambassador for the Spiritual Floor, the newest of several themed residence communities offered at St. Ambrose. "And from that, we combined it to make one floor-wide definition."

The statement the 30 residents developed reads:

Spirituality is a journey of self discovery seeking balance through inner peace connections, through nature and others, and belief in something bigger than you.

Senior Theresa Diggs, the residential adviser, said the floor includes members of varied faiths, and students who are open to challenging longstanding convictions. "We want this floor to be a place where you can have those deep conversations," she said.

This is the third year themed housing has been offered as a residence life opportunity. McCarthy Hall also features an International Floor and North Hall houses communities themed around academics. Eight university-owned, off-campus houses are grouped by student-created community themes such as service, diversity, healthy living and women's and children's advocacy.

The Spiritual Floor fosters an environment where residents can better understand their commitment to faith through bonding, discussion and group interaction.

"I made it a goal for myself at the end of last year to grow in my spirituality-to figure out what I believe, where I want to go with it, and how it can help me in life," junior Stephanie Burns said. "All of my suitemates kind of encourage me to go to bed early on Saturday nights so I can get up for church in the morning. Then, we all get ready together and have brunch afterward. It's nice to have people who want to do that with me."

The themed floor offers more than a support system. It may be the starting point for lasting friendships built on faith.

"Just to have that one thing in common brings everyone together and gets people out of their rooms," Diggs said. "The energy is unlike any floor I've lived on or been the RA for."