What the House Means to Me:
Meet Carmen Thumen, a senior in Timothy Dwight College. Throughout her time at Yale she has been involved in Shades and she is currently involved in BCAY. She has been the Lead coordinator for the past two years.
Here is Carmen's take on what the House means to her:
"To me, the House is a sanctuary. I mean this in both senses of the word. Every Sunday since freshman year, I have arrived at the House bright and early to set up the worship space for the Black Church at Yale (BCAY). I have seen the Enormous Room be transformed from an elegant hall into a song-filled sanctuary probably upwards of a hundred times by now. As the place where I first encountered Jesus, I have always thought of the House as a special, sacred place. To me, the House is a sanctuary in the non-church sense, too. Countless times I've come to the House seeking quiet and peace in the midst of a hectic college life. Sanctuaries are safe places, and for me, the House has been a safe place in which to encounter Afro-American culture and history. I have grown immensely from being a part of this community."