Saint Anselm College welcomed the Class of 2029 to campus this

fall, marking a historic milestone: the largest incoming freshman

class in the school’s history. With more than 650 first-year

students arriving on the Hilltop, the college community is experiencing

both excitement and growing pains as it adjusts to the

unprecedented enrollment.

For many returning students, the influx of new faces has been

immediately noticeable on campus. Dining halls, classrooms,

and residents halls are all bustlingwith activity. The first-year dormi-

tories are at full capacity, with the Office of Residence Life and Edu-

cation having to build more space to accommodate this change.

This fall, the unveiling of the remodeled Joseph Hall has wel-

comed many of the first year students. This former academic hall

has transformed into a space that students can call their own. This is

an exciting change for Residence

Life as they begin to navigate this addition to campus.

But not all students live on campus. Ben Matseas ‘29 is a first

year student who is commuting to campus this fall and he shared

how the parking situation has affected him.

His frustrations include that, “there are very few parking spaces

available when I arrive at campus later in the day. I have to park on

the other side of the south lot! This adds a lot of time when I am

trying to get to class.”

The parking issue extends to those living on campus as spaces

are becoming far and few. Nate Sarette ‘27 expresses his concerns:

“This parking situation is truly

insane! I spent thirty minutes

searching for a spot and there legit

are none. I’m afraid of getting my

first ticket!”

Both in and outside of the classroom, campus is already seeming

to be a lot more populated. “I’ve never seen Davison this busy,”

shared Davy LaMonica ‘28. “It’s great to see the college growing,

but you really have to time your meals just right or the lines are

absolutely insane.”

On the first day of classes, the line to grab a meal went so far out

of the doors that people were close to reaching the Dana center. This

did not really slow down until the end of the first week.

In the classroom, faculty members are also having to adapt to

larger course enrollments, particularly in popular introductory

courses. The college has added new versions of programs such as

Conversatio, having multiple lecture halls for common hours.

Mallory Walsh ‘29 shared a similar struggle: “The classes were

all filled before I could even get into them. Being the biggest class

means being okay with not getting into the classes that you would like

to.”

Outside of the classroom, extracurriculars are reaching ground-

breaking numbers. One of the student-led faith groups, Delight, saw over 70 people at their

firstmeeting of this semester. Members are filled with gratitude for

being able to connect with so many new students, and are look-

ing for a new meeting space to accommodate so many!

A larger student body, while overwhelming, contributes to

a more vibrant campus culture, increased population in clubs and

organizations, and greater visibility for the college on a national

scale. This serves as an opportunity for new ideas and a thrill for

what’s to come.

Liam Hendricks ‘29 is excited to be in such a large class! He has,

“loved getting to know so many different people.” Hendricks is

also eager to see if incoming class sizes will continue to increase.

“Honestly, next year the freshman class will probably be even larger,

and the school will continue to grow, year after year.”

As the fall semester unfolds, the

historic Class of 2029 is continu-

ing to make their mark on campus.

Their presence is not just a mile-

stone in numbers, but a reminder

of the enduring draw of a Saint

Anselm education—a community

rooted in tradition, dedicated to

academic excellence, and looking

confidently toward the future.