To the Saybrugians of ’06, Saybrook is a mystery wrapped in an enigma covered by a puzzle. So, it’s time to shed some light on what it means to be part of the Saybrook community.
First off, we’re all Saybrugians (pronounced with a soft “g”) and live in cozy Lanman-Wright as freshmen (in quads predominantly) and spacious Saybrook proper as upperclassmen. Lanman-Wright residents may be jealous of other Old Campus housing, but Lanman-Wright is in a prime location — it’s directly above the post office and has its own stone courtyard. The courtyard is a huge plus because it’s a great place to meet fellow Saybrugians during the move-in period, and it’s shaded by trees for reading when it’s sunny. Lanman-Wright is always hopping because it’s located at the main entrance to Old Campus. After a year in Lanman-Wright, Saybrugians get sophomore housing that is envied as the best in all of Yale.
Over in Saybrook proper, across the street from Lanman-Wright, the college is fresh off a multi-million dollar renovation that was completed at the start of the 2001-2002 academic year. With great new amenities like a darkroom, weight room, student kitchen, sound module, and TV room, living in Saybrook is posh. Also, a new underground theater space hosts a variety of student-run productions nearly every night of the week. Saybrugians are also quite cultured. 2002 saw the rise of the Saybrook Chamber Orchestra (referred to as SYChO). Many Saybrugians are involved in theater and their new theater space is ideal for any sort of production.
There is also a student-managed snack bar in the basement called “the Squiche,” which is ideal for late-night binges of mozzarella sticks and assorted fried goodies.
Every Friday afternoon, the Master’s Office hosts a happy hour with a varying theme from week to week. Favorites include the Chocoholic and Lithuanian Coffee Cake versions. In the spring, Saybrook hosts Saye and Sele Day to celebrate college pride with inflatable obstacle courses and jousting.
When venturing outside the walls of their gothic castle straight out of a fairy tale, Saybrugians are known to dominate the athletic fields. The Tyng Cup, awarded to the winning residential college of the annual year-long intramural sports competition, has rested securely in the Saybrook Master’s House for four of the past five years. (Don’t ask about the second-place finish in 2000.)
At varsity football games in the fall, Saybrugians are known for “the Saybrook Strip.” Freshmen and upperclassmen alike take off their clothes and prove which college has the hottest inhabitants. Particularly fanatic Saybrugians have been known to leave nothing to the imagination at the Harvard-Yale game.
That’s the Saybrook community in a nutshell. So, welcome to Saybrook! You’ll love it here!
James Larsen is a junior in Saybrook College.