Meet Clayton: a rising junior hailing from Alumni Hall. This summer, Clayton left his sunny California home only to land head first in the city that never sleeps: New York, New York. For me, that has meant having a fellow Domer to navigate the Big Apple with — and a new friend to boot (ending up in Times Square at two in the morning really has a way of bonding people). Clayton was nice enough to take the time to share his thoughts about life on and off campus with me. Read on to find out what he has to say!
Rapid Fire
Name: Clayton Conroy
Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA
Year: Junior, Class of 2016
Major: Finance
Dorm: Alumni Hall
Activities: NDtv, Bengal Bouts, GreeND, Women’s Varsity Basketball Practice Squad
Fun fact: I moved to America when I was 5 years old.
ΔΩΓ: The Dawg House
What makes the Notre Dame dorm experience unique? What about the Alumni Hall experience?
When I was looking at ND to go to school, the single gender dorms threw me off a little bit. I didn’t know if that meant ND tolerated women in the guys’ dorms at all, and I wasn’t sure how that would affect my campus life. I quickly realized that an all guys dorm was one of the better aspects of being an undergrad. It meant that we could walk around with only a towel on throughout the whole dorm without feeling weird about it; it meant that dorm sports could be as competitive as anybody would want them to be; and, most importantly, it laid the foundation for a community of boys that are now my brothers. The dorm life reinforces the importance of coming together as a community and building a family with little distraction from the rest of the world.
What do you say to those who compare dorm life to greek life — is there any truth in it?
I think there is truth in it. I have had this conversation with many people, and most would agree that living in a single-gender dorm is very similar to a fraternity or sorority. From day one, a student at ND is branded by his or her dorm and entrapped by the dorm community. Quickly the stereotypes set in (which are surprisingly true for certain dorms) and quickly everybody is associated by their own groups within their dorms. The conversation is always something like “Call the Walsh Girls” or “P-Dub house is having people over tonight.” I strike this as very similar to a Greek system where “Alpha-Phi is having its exchange tonight.” The only difference is, of course, that we are randomly placed in to these dorms. However, I believe that random placement ensures a more natural and healthy dorm life.
If you could have been placed in any dorm, other than Alumni, which would you have chosen?
Honestly, I have no idea. I have met people from a lot of the dorms around campus, including Stanford, Sorin, Knott, Keough, Dillon, O’Neill, and I can see myself easily living in and getting along well with a lot of the guys in those dorms. Everyone at ND is super cool and welcoming, and I would have no problem if I were affiliated with any of these dorm groups.
You’re moving off campus this coming year. What led you to make that decision?
There were two main reasons that led me to my decision. The first was the cost of living. On-campus housing is more expensive than most, if not all, of the off-campus housing alternatives. My roommates and I have budgeted several times, and we’re looking at saving a few grand each. The second was that I wanted to experience off-campus life like most students do at other colleges. Two years in the Dawg House was great, and I am very thankful for having the dorm community that I have. I am still a Dawg and already plan to be in the dorm a lot next year.
Empire State of Mind
What brought you to the Big Apple this summer? Is it your first time?
I have been once before on a two-day trip. I grew up on the West Coast, so New York was always this fantasy-land far in the distance. ND gave me the opportunity to go and intern in the city for a whole summer, and there was no way I was turning that down. Even after living here, I still consider it to be an amazing place — there is nothing else like it.
How does the city compare to your home in California or South Bend? How has the adjustment been?
NYC is very different from my hometown and from South Bend. I come from a small beach town where life moves relatively slowly – a lot of the economy comes from mom-and-pop restaurants or retail stores and people bring their surfboards to work. South Bend differs [from New York] in so many ways I could probably write a book about it. But I would say the two main differences are the ease of transportation and the lack of places to go off campus. I would say most of the adjustment is getting used to the constant action and bustling of people. You can’t be fazed if somebody yells at you to move, and you have to be ready for when street vendors will try to trap you into a conversation.
So far, what is your favorite spot in Manhattan — a must-see or hidden gem amongst all of the hustle and bustle?
There are tons of places to go in New York, and none of them are boring. I would have to say one really cool place to go is the High Line. On the corner of 8th and 23rd, it’s a path that used to be a train track, but is now filled with plants, ice cream vendors, and patches of grass to lie down and hang out on. It’s definitely an awesome place to run, or kill time, where people can enjoy the sights of the city but at the same time feel like they’re walking through a nature conservatory.
Any lessons or takeaways you want to share about moving to a brand new place with new people?
Don’t be afraid to talk to people. The only way you will make friends is by having conversations with people, even if that means asking them a few questions on the elevator. Don’t spend your time sitting around. Get some friends together and go out there and see the sights; you’ll regret it if you don’t. If that means planning weeks in advance, do it!
That’s all for now. Thanks for the interview, Clayton!
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