Warrior Cup is an annual competition in which all 13 residence halls at Eastern Connecticut State University compete for the benefit of a local nonprofit organization or charity. Burr Hall was the 2017-18 winner of the cup, but the real winner is St. Mary-St. Joseph School in Willimantic, which received $4,000 from the year’s Warrior Cup activities.

Residence halls earn points in the yearlong competition through the academic achievement of their residents, as well as their participation in campus activities, fundraisers and community service events.

This year, freshman residence halls placed in the top four, with Burr Hall earning 358 points, Mead Hall earning 353, Crandall Hall with 295 and Burnap Hall with 267 points. This is Burr Hall’s first Warrior Cup victory since the program started in 2008.

All fundraising activities among the residence halls went to this year’s designated recipient, St. Mary-St. Joseph School. Abby Demars, the school’s principal, said the money will support several initiatives, including purchasing laptop computers for students, buying new playground equipment and funding a school trip to Mystic Aquarium.

Speaking to the merits of on-campus living for Eastern students, President Elsa Núñez said: “It’s not just about getting a degree and moving on; it’s the out-of-class experiences and the skills you develop when engaging with the local community.”

LaMar Coleman, director of Housing and Residential Life, spoke to Burr Hall residents: “You’ve made history by getting Burr Hall onto the Warrior Cup trophy. We hope that you will carry the community spirit you’ve developed onward.”

Warrior Cup started in 2008 and has raised $37,628 for a variety of organizations, including the Windham No Freeze Center, Puentes al Futuro, Higher Edge, Windham Area Interfaith Ministry (WAIM), Windham Textile and History Museum and others.