I was compelled by the sense of community that The Lodge offered in West Campus and, after befriending and talking to Anna Buendia, founder of Sundays at The Lodge, I felt confronted with my lack of community within art-centered spaces.
She asked me, “Do you know your neighbor?”
“No,” I said. “I do not.”
I’ve found it increasingly difficult to form meaningful connections with strangers in West Campus. Perhaps it’s the scale and commercialization of the neighborhood—defined by dense, multistory apartment complexes, or perhaps it’s my own impulse to remain anonymous as I walk up 26th Street, avoiding eye contact with my peers. The Lodge, however, stood out to me as one of the few spaces where genuine connection with like-minded individuals felt realistic. Over the fall of 2025, I began attending the weekly jam sessions there to document Sundays at The Lodge.
