On April 17, the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine will kick off its new house system with a sorting ceremony for current students and faculty. Proposed by the College’s Wellness Working Group this fall, the house system is part of a College-wide wellness initiative to foster relationships, provide mentoring, and build leadership skills.
During the sorting ceremony, current students will be divided into four houses that will engage in friendly competitions throughout the year. The goal is to provide incoming students with a built-in support system and foster relationships between students in different classes and career paths.
Each house represents a different system of the body: musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, nervous, and immune. Each house has a color, description, and Michigan-based animal as its representative symbol. Faculty members will serve as mentors to students in their given house.
“We are excited for students to discover what house they will be a part of,” said Dr. Chandra Grabill, assistant dean for Student Wellness and Engagement. “We hope that the house system will encourage students to engage with their fellow house members, whether they are faculty members or other students.”
Originating in the United Kingdom, the house system is now gaining popularity among schools in the United States. The College will be the second veterinary school in the nation to implement it.
The sorting ceremony will be held on April 17 from 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s cafeteria. All members of the CVM community are invited to stop by during that time to be sorted into their house and meet their colleagues.
The Four Houses
Pramaya
System represented: Immune
Tagline: The Defenders
Symbol: Black Bear
Color: Red
Miracor
System represented: Cardiovascular
Tagline: The Seekers
Symbol: Lynx
Color: Purple
Omnimar
System represented: Nervous
Tagline: The Thinkers
Symbol: Owl
Color: Blue
Murunos
System represented: Musculoskeletal
Tagline: The Movers
Symbol: Snapping turtle
Color: Gold