Residents of West Florence Moore Hall (West Flo) attended Corgi Con, an event some said was tailor-made for the dorm’s “West Floof” theme, over the weekend. The convention, which hosted more than 1,000 pets, served as a community-building exercise for the dog-themed hall.

Since 2014, Corgi Con has occurred semiannually on San Francisco’s Ocean Beach in celebration of the popular dog breed. Corgi owners and fans gathered on the beach to mingle with other dog enthusiasts and watch the dogs compete in events.

This year’s competitions included races, agility tests and costume contests. Photography was abundant as Instagram-famous dogs such as Maple and Morty Corgi wandered around alongside other corgis dressed in costumes and sunglasses.

“We had a great time at the event even though it was a bit colder on the beach… than we are used to at Stanford,” said West Flo Resident Assistant (RA) Cole Winstanley ’20.

He added that the Corgi Ninja Warrior event, a light-hearted canine obstacle course, was a highlight of the trip.

For the second year in a row, West Flo staff decided to use the event as an opportunity to build relationships within the dorm and expose residents to the local community.

“It’s a great opportunity for residents to get to know each other, explore San Francisco and de-stress a bit by cuddling with cute dogs,” West Flo Resident Fellow Lydia Tan said.

Although Corgi Con was a popular dorm trip for last year’s West Flo residents, this year’s trip was especially relevant given the canine theme of the dorm, dubbed “West Floof.” Each of the four halls is named after a breed of dog; Loro Hall, nicknamed “Lorgi,” is specifically Corgi-themed.

In choosing the dog theme, RAs aimed to set a fun and welcoming tone for their residents. They said their dorm values of belonging, openness, respect and kindness, or B.O.R.K., playfully reflect the environment that the theme was meant to promote.

“Everyone likes dogs on staff, and they foster a good culture as far as themes go,” said West Flo RA Steve Weyns ’20.

Residents agreed that the theme fostered a comfortable atmosphere, which they said was especially important in a four-class dorm like West Flo.

“The wholesomeness of dogs reflects the community here at West Flo,” said resident Felisha Moore ’22. “Transitioning to Stanford is hard enough in itself, and I was apprehensive about moving to a dorm where I knew nobody. But the community here is a comfortable space and I’m glad I ended up in West Floof.”

 

Contact Betty Dereje at bdereje ‘at’ stanford.edu.