Redbud co-op helps residents build community

When first-year doctoral candidate Raquel Sarabia first visited Cornell as an exchange student in 2021-22, she stayed at Redbud Cooperative in Von Cramm Hall on the recommendation of previous exchange students from her home university. 

After returning to her native Spain to complete her undergraduate studies and earn a master’s degree, Sarabia made her way back to the Hill in pursuit of a PhD. Once again finding herself at Cornell, Sarabia knew where she wanted to be: Redbud.

“I get to experience so much here,” said Sarabia. “I come from Spain, and while it’s diverse in its own way, I feel like it’s great for me to be involved in a community with as much diversity as Redbud because I get to meet people from all different backgrounds and it helps me broaden my vision.”

Founded in 1956, Redbud is the largest cooperative house at Cornell, housing just over 30 undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom are international or exchange students. Located at 623 University Avenue in Von Cramm Hall, the name “Redbud” is a nod to the wooded area that used to be located behind the building.

“There’s people around all the time,” says Sarabia, who describes Redbud as a fun and bustling community. “My program right now is pretty demanding and I have a lot of work, but it helps having so many people around you when you’re home and living with friends in the house helps me balance my academics with the social aspect.”

Sarabia often joins her housemates for nightly dinners, game nights and even the occasional pool tournament. While she was drawn to the social opportunities that Redbud offered, Sarabia also appreciates the other aspects of communal living, which include residents’ responsibilities to run and maintain the house.

“There’s shared community values and we try to be conscientious of each other,” said Sarabia. “It can be as simple as washing someone else’s dirty dishes while you’re washing your own, but we try to be mindful of everything that can affect our housemates and think of the things we can do personally to help everyone in the house.”

That supportive community has extended beyond the walls of Redbud, with residents like Sarabia getting new experiences while helping to steward the culture the co-op has developed over time.

“I’ve enjoyed getting to know people from different backgrounds through their different activities and interests,” said Sarabia. “One of my ex-housemates used to dance and we would go watch them and I wouldn’t have done that otherwise. When I returned to Redbud, there was only one person that was here before, but somehow the spirit is the same and I think it’s a pretty cool thing.”