peer advisor

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone out there is having a swell day. This is just a reminder that the incoming student Housing Preference Form is due at tonight at 11:59.

If you have not completed this form already, consider doing so: if you have even the slightest preferences as to your living situation come September, it will give the office of Residential Life a chance to accommodate these.

Bennet (formerly Fauver) is one of two all-First Year residence halls

First-Year students have different housing options that they may request. A rundown of these is below.

Bennet, one of two all-First Year halls, is the most recently constructed residence hall on the Wesleyan campus. It opened in Fall 2005 as Fauver Hall, and was subsequently re-dedicated this past May during Reunion and Commencement. Advantages to Bennet include its new amenities, its communal feel due to its large lounge and its many group study spaces, and its proximity to the Freeman Athletic Center.

Clark, the other all-First year hall, was built in 1916 and renovated in 2003. Similar to Bennet, it also has updated amenities and a new feel. Additionally, it is probably less than 100 steps away from both Exley (home of science/math departments, the Science Library, and Pi Café), Olin (main library), and Weshop (the campus grocer).

The Writing Hall, one of several Program Housing options available to incoming First Years, is located on the fourth floor of Clark Hall, and is thus also all-First Year. Program houses and floors regularly host themed events for their residents. When I lived on the Writing Hall as a First Year, the floor hosted open mics, conversations with professors, and technique workshops in a variety of genres among other things. Furthermore, it most certainly fulfilled the program housing ideal of tight-knit community. Writing Hall kids band together!

The Butterfields (Butts) house First Years and Sophomores are located at the southern end of campus, closest to Exley and Shanklin (home of the science laboratories). The Butts are actually three freestanding buildings (Butt A, B, and C), and together they form a small quad. Some give the Butts a bum rap for being ugly and encouraging isolation (they are a relic of 1960s modernism, and were allegedly built to be riot-proof), however, alternative opinions abound. To summarize: before coming to Wesleyan, I didn’t realize it was possible for a dorm to have a cult following, but the Butts have proven me wrong.

Moreover, the Butts are also home to Green Hall, Substance-free Floor, and Quiet Floor, three other program housing options available to First Years.

Finally, Summerfields, a more intimate dining alternative to the Usdan Marketplace, is located conveniently in Butt C.

Nicolson (Nics) houses First Years and Sophomores and is located just over the crest of Foss Hill. It tends to be quieter than Bennet, Clark, and even the Butts. Its rooms tend to be big and have plenty of natural light. Plays, comedy shows, and musical performances are frequently held in its spacious common room. It also houses numerous program halls, an all-male hall, and an all-female hall.

West College (WestCo) houses First Years and Sophomores and is located roughly between Clark and Bennet. Part of Program Housing, Westco emphasizes communal living and self-governance. According to the WestCo blurb on the Program Housing website, “Residents are expected to take an active role in shaping the social, intellectual and living environment of WestCo, continuing a longstanding tradition of self-governance and activism.” WestCo regularly hosts concerts, raves, open mics, and plays in the “Café” on the basement level. WestCo’s four interconnected buildings form a courtyard, which in the summer of 2011 became the sight of a sustainability renovation project initiated by a student group called WILD Wes.

200 Church houses First Years and Sophomores and is located in a beautiful re-purposed fraternity house near the southern end of College Row. Also part of Program Housing, 200 Church emphasizes social justice and diversity. According to 200 Church blurb, “the Residents actively address racism and other forms of oppression, working to educate themselves and the larger Wesleyan community.” 200 Church regularly hosts a a variety of social events and guest speakers.

Good luck getting that housing form in! Post questions below.