When a person enters through the entrance of Concordia Theological Seminary, one immediately notices the statue of Martin Luther welcoming another guest to the campus. Not too far off in the distance, one is immediately drawn to the sight of Kramer chapel, as it is clearly the center, and focal point of this seminary community. Surrounding these two areas of CTS are numerous buildings, all of which serve numerous purposes. But, amidst all these school and administration buildings, you will find several homes. These homes are the dormitories at CTS, the new and familiar homes to many single seminarians. But these dormitories are not in the manner found at most colleges and seminaries. Rather, they meet the higher standards of what students can call their own personal house or home.

Upon entering a dormitory on the CTS campus, one finds something unique and out of the ordinary from most types of campus housing. Our dormitories have the look and feel of a big sprawling house found in a residential neighborhood. Many are amazed at how comfortable campus housing really is at CTS. Though a single room on campus may not seem to be the greatest of living arrangements, CTS has made numerous renovations to improve the campus dorm life. Students do not find themselves living in cramped and crowded conditions. Each dormitory is able to hold only 17 students, with the average dorm housing around 15 students. This provides plenty of space in which students can live without worrying about privacy and a quiet atmosphere.

The first thing you see when you walk into any dorm on campus is the great room of the house. This is the lounge in the dorm, where students can come together to watch a video or a game on cable television, or even to play a game of cards by a roaring fire. Carpeting and air conditioning in all student dormitories provide comfort and a welcome environment to each student as he comes home from his classes. These student houses also give each student access to his own telephone, and each room has internet accessibility for a computer. This provides convenience and easy access when a student wants to communicate with others. A small chapel in the lower level of each dorm provides the students with their own place to pray and meditate on a daily basis. Campus living at CTS is providing each single student with his own room in a house. The term dormitory does not do justice to what this seminary provides. These are student homes, and like any home, about which CTS students can easily say "home sweet home."

Kent Schaaf is a second-year seminarian and the Resident Assistant of Calov Hall.

From Volume 3, Issue 4, Fall 1999