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Residence Sophing at Western University

Western's First Year Residences

Western RezLife, a program at Western University, includes a large team of upper-year students who work together to provide a support system for incoming Western students. There are over 500 individual student leaders who live on campus, including Residence Staff, Academic & Leadership Programmers, Community Leaders, Residence Sophs, and Faculty Sophs. These students all work with Western Housing to help first-year students adjust to their new home. Western’s residence program includes a total of seven different buildings, or “halls", that first year students can choose from: Medway-Sydenham, Saugeen-Maitland, Delaware, Perth, Ontario, Elgin and Essex. Upper year students are welcomed at these buildings, but first year students take priority, as there are two designated upper year residences: Alumni House and London Hall. Each of Western's residences vary in their layout and amenities to accommodate different lifestyles.

Residence Sophing

A position that is unique to Western University, a Residence Soph, affectionately known as a “Soph” is an Orientation Leader who helps welcome new students and provides an orientation to campus life. On campus move in dates in residence, Sophs greet students at their cars, and proceed to move in their belongings. Sophs are usually one of the first people that a first-year Western student will interact with on move in day. Faculty Sophs also assist with move ins, and are assigned a floor (or multiple floors) based on which program they are in. Their role is to provide their students with guidance in their program when needed, and to invite them to faculty based events. Unlike Residence Sophs, they do not live in the first-year buildings, and usually live off-campus.

This does not mean that a Soph's role is complete after Orientation Week. Residence Sophs spend their year dedicated to act as academic and social supports for first year students. Each Soph is typically assigned a floor in the residence, along with a Soph partner, who is another person on their team. Both Sophs as well as the Residence Staff work throughout the year to build a community on their floor. As live-in volunteers within first year residence halls, Residence Sophs work in a Soph team of around 25-60 people (depending on the size of the residence). Each team has one or two Head Sophs, along with a Programming Assistant (PA, usually all of whom were Residence Sophs the year prior. As a team, Sophs aim to promote mental and personal wellness, encourage students to go to fun events within the building, and help integrate new students to the University’s social and academic environments.

On one of Western’s information page about Sophs, they included the following paragraph about the results of Western’s O-week Survey in 2019:

“In the OWeek 2019 Survey, students indicated that the relationships built with their Sophs, the relationships Sophs helped facilitate, and the knowledge the Sophs possess were some of the most helpful and enjoyable aspects of OWeek. Students reported that their Sophs made them feel safe, supported, and welcomed at Western. The impact that Sophs have on new students lasts throughout the entire year."

Application Process

The Soph application is typically released in November of first semester, around the same time that Residence Staff applications are released. First years can apply to Soph as long as they lived in residence in their first year. Applicants are able to apply for other residences outside of the one that they currently live in, yet Medway-Sydenham Hall is known for only choosing people who lived in there in their first year. Soph applications consist of written responses to questions which help the Head Team to evaluate the candidates. If an application score exceeds the minimum required score, applicants are then emailed and told to book a group interview, where Head Teams are able to further evaluate their applicants on a more personable level. A few weeks later, over a span of 1-3 days, Head Teams call their chosen applicants on their cell phones to congratulate them. At this time it is still second semester and not a new school year, the chosen Soph team must wait a few months until their roles begin. After the team is set in stone, the new Sophs usually meet once a week to get to know one another, discuss their plans, potential events for next semester, and to brainstorm some new cheers for Soph rallies and for O-week in September.

Benefits

If one chooses to apply to Soph and is accepted to join the program, Western Housing offers the following benefits:

• Free RezNet (Western’s Wi-Fi Service)
• $200 added to your Meal Plan
• Free Soph Uniform
• Free coffee and/or tea in all dining halls
• Preference for Housing employment opportunities

Culture

The Soph program has been around for years at Western, dating back until the early 2000s. Each building has its own unique culture and traditions that are shown to the first years in O-week and in Frost week (the first week of the second semester in January). Not only do Sophs often pass on artifacts to their "Baby Sophs" (those who got Sophing on their floor), each building has its own unique cheers and cultures. These cheers are often done during O-week, and are taught by Sophs to first years within each respective residences. They are performed during the Opening and Closing ceremonies. Due to COVID-19, in 2020, these ceremonies were not able to take place like they usually do, seeing as most of Western's O-week had to take place online. Every year, there are events that Sophs can go to, such as Soph Pubs, Semi-Formal and Formal. These celebrations are held by Housing and are held in a location on campus. They are open to both Faculty Sophs and Residence Sophs. Each unique residence tradition is near and dear to a Soph's heart. One example of a Med-Syd Soph tradition is learning how to do a slightly modified version of the Wobble dance - done to the song Wobble by V.I.C. Overall, the most common Residence traditions revolve around the cheers that are taught by Sophs to the first years each year.

Soph Reveal

Typically, Soph uniforms are paired with a hat and sunglasses, which is done to conceal a soph's identity and appearance. First years learn their Soph's Soph name, which is a name chosen a few weeks before O-week. This name usually has to do with a funny, embarassing or wild story that is told to the team. Additionally, once someone learns that they will be a Soph for the next school year, it is tradition for them to not cut their hair or trim any facial hair until reveal day. This is why during O-week, Sophs often have crazy, long coloured hair. Many male Sophs also have long facial hair that can be temporarily dyed or even braided. There are even awards at the end of O-week at the Soph banquet for the Sophs with the craziest hairstyles. This all has to do with ensuring that nobody will recognize a Soph's true identity during O-week, and it also allows for a shocking reveal of a Soph's appearance and identity. After the last day of O-week, Soph Reveal takes place in respective residences, where Sophs and Faculty Sophs come together and take turns speaking to the first years in the building. During the reveal, it is tradition for each Soph to expose their real name, as well as to tell the story behind their Soph name. Although the students now know their Soph's real name, it is common for Sophs to be known around the building as their Soph name, as opposed to their real name.

O-week Responsibilities

Sophs have a lot of responsibilities during Orientation. They are as follows:

1. Multiple days of move-ins
2. Doing nightly rounds of the building to get people to go to the events happening on campus
3. Going to the campus wide events, ensuring that all students are safe
4. Transporting their given floor to the events as the first years do not know the campus well yet, and could get lost
5. Helping out with programming where they are needed
6. Executing events within the building
7. Walking first years home after evening events when it gets dark
8. Ensuring that all of the first years on their given floor are safe and sound at the end of each night

Soph Uniforms

During O-week, all the different types of Soph Teams have a specific uniform that they wear. Reiterating what was mentioned above, Sophs wear large sunglasses and a hat to help keep their identity under wraps. Although, it is up to the Soph to decide if they wish to wear a hat, as well as what type. Often, Sophs choose to wear visors, bucket hats, headbands or cowboy hats. All sophs typically wear a fanny pack, because they are convenient, and allow a Soph to carry around their phone, sunscreen, O-week pass and more. Fanny packs also don't cover any parts of their uniform like a backpack does, and come in so many different styles & colours. Bandanas are also usually worn by most Soph teams, and are tied around their necks or legs. Many Sophs also wear sweatbands, typically worn around their wrists and arms.

Elgin Hall

This residence's designated colour is green (for their mascot - the Alligators), Elgin's Soph uniform is a green T-shirt that is paired with green scrub pants. The pants are usually drawn and painted on to make them stand out more. Soph names are usually printed on the side of the pats, as well as on the back of the T-shirt.

Essex Hall

Essex's Soph uniform matches their residence colours, which are blue and yellow. Similar to Med-Syd's and Saugeen's uniform, they wear what could be described as a romper, but they keep the sleeves long so as to not have the same style uniform as Medway-Sydenham Hall.

Delaware Hall

Delaware's Soph uniform typically consists of a dark blue T-shirt that reads "Deli" on the front, as well as the person's Soph name on the back. The shirt is paired with bright red gym shorts. Delaware Sophs also wear dark blue Delaware branded visors, which they often decorate with round pins. The colours of Delaware are red, blue and white.

Saugeen-Maitland Hall

Saugeen Sophs are easy to spot amidst the O-week chaos, as their uniforms consist bright red overalls, which are the same material as Med-Syd and Essex's uniforms. These overalls are usually decorated and painted on, with the Soph's name on the back of it.

Medway-Sydenham Hall

Med-Syd's colour is black, as they are known as "The Army of Darkness." Med-Syd Soph uniforms are similar to Saugeen's, but rather than overalls, the sleeves are kept on but cut to a T-shirt length so it looks more like a romper. These uniforms include each Soph's respective Soph name on the back, and are traditionally heavily decorated with acrylic paint, patches and pins.

Ontario Hall

Ontario Hall's Soph uniform consists of a hot pink T-shirt and blue scrub pants. In 2019, the T-shirts read "Ignite" in turquoise lettering, and included each Soph's name in large lettering on the back of the shirt.

Perth Hall

Perth's Soph uniform is an orange jumpsuit with the legs shortened. Orange is also the official colour of Perth Hall. These are usually decorated, but sometimes Perth Sophs go for a more minimal design. Soph names are printed on the back of the uniform, just like all the other residences.