Where are all the first years?
Some other things I’ve noticed since I’ve been back:
I keep running into the same dozen or so first-years. I’m making a real effort to keep saying that instead of freshmen, but I slip sometimes. Personally, I don’t think it’s as big of a deal as some people make it out to be. Maybe it’s ’cause I’m a guy. Maybe it’s cause “first years” sounds like Harry Potter. Whatever. Point is, there are, what, over 70 of them? Where are they all? I went over to West Hall night before last, and there were only a handful of people in the lounge. I feel a little awkward just walking into a first year’s room, but I would like to meet 25% of the school’s population.
The number of quirks Olin went up astronomically with the opening of East Hall. I understand, it’s a work in progress, etc. But the wacky door on the West Wing is still tricking me. And the motion-detector lights - I feel like I’m breaking out of Alcatraz everytime I walk down the hall. By the way, we need a better system of saying things like East Hall West Wing. It’s getting confusing. In the future, when corporations run everything, Oliners will say “I live in Starbucks Hall, Amazon.com Wing” It’s inevitable.
The dining hall is now constantly crowded for lunch and dinner. Damn.
East Hall isn’t as close to the rest of campus as I originally thought. I know, I know, it’s no where near as far as the mods, but still, it looked so close. Even if you lived in East Wing of West Hall (see, it’s confusing, dammit!) you could walk in the West Wing door. Now, it’s all the way down the path. Far away. In the mud. I hate mud.
Already, I feel like the social dynamic has changed. It could just be me, but I don’t see or hear in East Hall on my way back to my room. Granted, my room is 25 feet away from the door on the first floor in the corner with a sign that says “Beware of the Leopard”, but still: no one’s in the lounge. No one’s coming over to hang out.
Maybe (this isn’t a plea, or a feeling sorry for myself moment) it’s just I don’t have as many friends as I thought. Maybe it’s just that the people I thought were my friends were the ones I lived near, saw constantly, and mistook that level of familiarity for friendship. I guess I saw the writing on the wall last year: I knew it was bad news bears when I couldn’t find a suite that made sense. And while I love my giant corner room, I’d trade it for being closer to cool happenings. (That’s not a real offer, so don’t ask.)
Still, all in all? It’s great to be back. Seeing everyone makes me so happy. And happy is good.
September 6th, 2005 at 6:39 pm
the lounges are definitely very empty. I think that might be a function of having the exclusive mini-lounges in all the suites.
I have a solution though: make the first floor lounge into a ball pit. EVERYONE loves ball pits!