Meet our student advisory group, the Homies

Logo: Homies Student Friends of the Library

Homer’s Homies is a student-led organization that doesn’t hide their love for the Homer Babbidge Library! And even though they weren’t on their home turf in HBL this year, they found ways to connect with each other on and off campus, keeping their love for the library strong. The Executive Board took some time out of their schedules to dish all things Homies. 
Austin Mott – President
Griffin Love – Vice President
Thomas Reese Jr. – Treasurer

Top left to bottom - Jean Nelson, John Cropp, Austin Mott, Griffin Love, Thomas Reese.
Top left to bottom – Jean Nelson, John Cropp, Austin Mott, Griffin Love, Thomas Reese.

For our readers who don’t know, who or what, are the Homies?
The Homies, originally formed in 2016, is a student-led advocacy group named after the flagship location at the UConn Library – Homer Babbidge Library. The Homies: Friends of the Homer Babbidge Library work to put on events to allow students to de-stress, have fun in the Library, and provide student advocacy and input on library issues. Much like the library itself, we are a resource open for anyone who enjoys interacting with other library lovers.    

Why did you join the Homies?
We all came to Homer Babbiddge early on as freshman because it was a great dedicated space to study. One day Griffin was walking out of the building and former Homies President Nick Helber was sitting at the student activities tables. For anyone that knows Nick, his laid back style, Magic School Bus t-shirt, and vintage snap-back hat made it easy to stop and chat and Griffin did just that. Nick shared his enthusiasm for the Homies and Griffin and Austin went to the next meeting. The group was small and offered endless opportunities to be a part of the group in meaningful and fun ways and they were hooked. 

What do you love most about HBL?
Homer Babbidge is in the central part of campus so it’s a great place to connect in the middle of the day between classes or at night to study. Frankly, if we aren’t eating, it’s the place to be. Our freshman year we spent a lot of time on Level 1 because it was a great place to talk but when we needed more studying and less talking, we moved up to the second floor which is now our favorite place. The best place on the second floor is a table with a view if you can get it. 

How are the Homies connecting during the Pandemic?
Not being able to be in the space that defines us has been challenging, but we have found ways to stay connected and our meetings are more fun and productive than ever! We meet weekly for about an hour and have study sessions on Wednesday nights where some have classes together or have taken the class before and can help each other, and sometimes it’s a chance to just sit in the room together and listen to the Homies’ playlist on Spotify.

Our biggest fundraisers each year are selling grilled cheese to hungry students so we have had to find new ways to fundraise and just held a successful trivia night. And a special shout out to Valerie Lee, our new secretary. She has really stepped up and created fun things to do to keep everyone connected. 

What are you working on that you want us to know about?
Our goal was to start an annual gift back to the Library but it’s been difficult without the ability to fundraise. We may not get that done this year, but will at least plan for that legacy. We are also hoping to continue the interest of past Homies to raise funding for nap pods or a relaxation zone to give students a place to go and decompress.  

What are three songs you would find on the Homies Playlist?
Tom created the playlist and now it has a lot of great music. It leans towards the classic rock feel and includes The Boys are Back in Town by Thin Lizzy, Africa by Toto, and Superstition by Stevie Wonder. 

Homies grilled cheese event

You are all graduating seniors, what are your majors?
Austin – Biomedical Engineering
Griffin – Communications and Psychology, with a minor in Ecology
Thomas – Civil Engineering

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
Austin – I hit a half-court shot at an exhibition game at Gampel as a freshman and won a $100 gift certificate to PC Richards and Sons.
Griffin – My minor in ecology is purely for interest and I hope to pull it together with communications and psychology some day.                                                                            
Thomas – My dad was in the Navy and I have moved 13 times, living in nine states. Maryland and Connecticut are my favorites. 

What is on your reading list?
Griffin – The Secret Life of Cows by Rosamund Young
Austin – Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
Thomas – at my grandmother’s suggestion it’s a book that will help me understand the stock market

The Homies encourage you to tell them what you are reading! Submit your latest book to the Babbidge Bookworms

If you could only have two apps on your smartphone, which would you pick?
If you can reach your Homies, you have everything you need so we would need three – Spotify for our playlist, GroupMe to send Homies messages, and Zoom for Homies meetings. 

If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?
Austin – Flying. I could go anywhere and see anything.
Griffin – Time travelling. Even just to go back and see what we looked like and the shenanigans from freshman year. 
Thomas – I spend a lot of time working with 3D maps for class and it would be great to be able to fly through them or see everything from a birds-eye view. 

What’s your most used emoji?
In our Zoom meetings it is most certainly the clap.
Thomas – laughing, followed with the thumbs up
Griffin – muscle emoji because it’s great for almost every message
Austin – tongue sticking out with tear (used ironically of course) 

Follow along with the Homies 
Instagram: @uconnhomies
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/uconn-homies

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