Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 17:18:17 -0400 From: Brad Ito To: housing-talk@mit.edu Subject: A few ideas Please forgive me if I am repeating things that may have already been presented before: On the Virtues of Dorm Rush The idea of summer selection of dormitories is an admirable one. However, I do not really believe that it would be effective at truly giving incoming students an idea of what aparticular living group would be like. I would liken it to the college viewbooks the frosh would also earlier recieved, which despite a large amount of time an effort, often fail to truly characterize what life at a particular university is like. I would argue even that no single resident of a dormitory can completely characterize what a freshman's experience would be like if he or she lived in that dormitory. To truly get an idea of what living somewhere is like, one would have to live there. Short of that, the next best thing is to actually visit the place and talk to several different people individually. In addition, the problem with any publication is that even in the absense of instute censorship, there will always be a significant amount of self-censorship. For example, how many residences would be candid about drug use, the leniancy of regulation at the dorm, controversial topics within the dorm, or other such aspects of dorm life. Actually going and interacting with dorm residents can provide so much more of a feel for what the dorm is like. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a real conversation could be worth ten thousand. Another advantage of dorm rush would be that frosh can interact with their fellow students at the same time. Advice and opinions from peers going through the same experience would be much more valuable than say the advice of a parent several decades out of date. As a corrolary of course, happier frosh in a place they fit into makes for better communities at MIT. A better informed choice has positive ramifications all over the place. Perhaps a productive use of the summer mailings could be to select the temp dorms. This would give the frosh a taste of what actually living in the place in like. It would also be much more valuable than the random assignments made now. On Crowding Putting the elimination of crowding amongst the changes proposed by the RSSC is not, I believe, a good idea. The housing situation will already be in serious flux at this time with the FSILG's potentially losing a large portion of their membership. The choice of potentially kicking a sophomore out into the vicious Boston apartment market is by far a greater evil than having them live in a triple. I even know of a few students who have purposefully tried to get into a crowded room to end up paying less for their housing. Admittedly, there is a greater potential for incomplatiblities in a crowded room. However, if things do work out that could be one more potential friend. I myself was crowded freshman year and frankly would not have been falling all over myself to get my own room. I would also especially have prefered living with one more person than potentially having to live in an off-campus apartment. About Taking Frosh out of FSILG's Yes I know this is mostly a moot point. And that no amount of reason / logic / emotion / bribes is likely to change anything. I just wanted to share a metaphor (simile, analogy - same difference. I'm an MIT student :). Taking frosh away from FSILG's for the first year is like taking children away from their parents for the first year. Sure it may seem like a good idea as some parents are not the best and the first year is when children need special nurturing and care. Ok fine so it may reduce the amount of shaken baby syndrome and child abuse. And of course foster parents would be able to devote the needed time and attention. But what would happen to the family? I mean; isn't this just crazy? Proposal on How to use the New Dorm (as the FSILG Dorm) So as I seem to recall several (read at least more than one) of the FSILG's house their freshman seperately from upperclassmen. I guess as I live in a dorm I am not quite sure how widespread this is; but I know the phenomenon exists. So here's my idea: what if we use the new dormitory in a way similar to the way that New House provides a space for the language houses? This way the freshman from each particular pledge class would get a chance to live with each other and interact in a community similar what they would get off campus. However it would be on-campus so the administration would still be able to regulate it and make sure that it is the safe, positive environment that it should be. Perhaps an upperclassman member of the FSILG could be allowed to live with the freshman to help facilitate interaction of the freshman with the rest of the FSILG. I don't envision every FSILG applying for freshman space in the new dorm. In particular, those living groups where the main aspect of communal life is living there may choose not to participate. However, it would provide the freshman with a good place to form bonds and benefit from the positive aspects of a FSILG. The new dorm would be a particularly good location for this as it would not be displacing any existing community. It could also be laid out with such a purpose in mind. Of course this would require some sort of FSILG rush to occur at the beginning of the year. Yes it would be potentially stressful, but as it is applied in only a small amount of time, perhaps this could be beneficial. Trying to insulate freshamn from such rigors as social ostracism is unrealistic and effectively unrealizeable. Having the decisions of rush made at the beginning of the year eliminates it having academic effects or competing with the numerous inducements of IAP. If, as is done now, such a rush were to take place at the same time as dorm rush, then the dormitories would have fewer non-resident residents and that crucial time period of the first few months could be used on the positive activities of the FSILGs. Frat Rush would become whether or not to choose to live in that fraternities freshman living division within the new dorm. Such a plan would, I feel benefit the institute in that it would maintain its promise to house freshamn on campus, benefit the FSILGs by helping to preserve their culture, and help the dormitory culture by reducing the amount of residents who cant wait to get out of the dorm. Am I missing anyone? Oh yes, and the frosh would get a broader and better choice for where they would be happy living. Do feel free to tear apart my ideas and/or incorporate what you want elsewhere. I just thought that as I have some ideas I might as well share them. Brad Ito (who is bracing himself for flames) Conner2 P.S. If ppl reply to this right away, could you cc me as I only just added myself to the list. Thx. ****************************************** Bradley Ito bito@MIT.EDU Class of 2001 410 Memorial Drive Room 211C Cambridge, MA 02139 617-225-8203 ****************************************** "Reality is what you make it. What are you making?"