Saturday Socializing: Invite-A-Houses

With the transition away from Saturday school, the proliferation of Invite-a-Houses has resurfaced in every III and IV Form student’s agenda. From poker to speed-dating, Invite-a-House events offer students the chance to interact with peers from other Houses while participating in unique activities. But one shouldn’t forget the thought and efforts of each House Social Representative which occurs behind the scenes to plan Invite-a-Houses. A select few of these Social Representatives across the Circle and Crescent have expressed their thoughts on the events and their benefits. 

Leo Min ’26, Michael Ma ’26, and Natalie Tang ’26, the Social Representatives of the Kennedy and McClellan House, recently worked together to organize their first Invite-a-House: speed-dating at the bathhouse. Overall, Min described that the events are “great for people to get to know other people   on campus,” and that it makes campus a “more lively place.” In a similar light, Tang claimed that alongside having a fun time, Invite-a-Houses provide a great way to “make new and even unexpected friendships, especially for the sophomores that are new to the Circle and Crescent.” Tang emphasized that they successfully have encouraged day students to stay during the weekend, with  “several day students in McClellan choosing to sleep over in the House because of that weekend’s Invite-a-House.” When asked about plans, Min and Ma stated that Kennedy has a lot in store and they want to make sure that the “sophomores get the best experience.” Tang is also looking forward to several events, especially “McWeen, McMovie night, and an easter brunch Invite-a-Friend,” that she plans on scheduling shortly.

Anne Clifford Levy ’26, a social representative of the Stephens House, agreed that invite-a-houses have been crucial to bonding within the house and building connections around campus. Stephens House’s first invite-a-house of the year involved a grill and karaoke with the Woodhull House. While Stephens House member Sienna Kulynich ’26 admitted the event “started off a little slow,” once people started playing pool in the common room and singing karaoke, it “became a lot of fun.” When asked how invite-a-houses contribute to the social aspect of Lawrenceville, Levy claimed that the events are “valuable to have on weekends,” when students are bored out of their minds or simply “need a break from school and sports.” Nonetheless, the excitement surrounding invite-a-houses incentivizes students to come together and enjoy their time at Lawrenceville, and both Levy and Kulynich are excited to plan different activities including a Poker Night with another house in the next term.

Holden Pettinelli ’26 and Essie Chafin ’26, the Social Representatives of the Griswold and Kirby House respectively, offered insight on their recent Invite-a-House organized around an outdoor grill and poker night, along with the social benefits of Invite-a-Houses as a whole. As Pettinelli puts it, bringing entire Houses together for events enables students to “meet peers for the first time while strengthening bonds with friends” they are already familiar with. He believes that the interactions students have at Invite-a-Houses extend beyond just the event, as they encourage people to “become closer with each other, which can spark further conversation” across campus. In terms of day student participation, similar to Tang, Pettinelli noticed that many day students stayed on campus longer than usual for “the sole purpose of the Kirby Invite-a-House,” which was a great accomplishment given the “recent lack of day student participation” in Saturday night events. On a similar note, Chafin noticed how “Invite-a-Houses play the deciding role of whether or not boarding students decide to stay on campus for the weekend,” as many students tend to go home or stay in New York City. Overall, Chafin was pleased with the success of the Invite-a-House, as the “overall mood was very positive,” she said it was “great to see students of different grades, genders, and backgrounds bonding.” She is also looking forward to preparing future events such as ice skating and activities at the Big Red Park!