College House results rock first years

The Freshman Fifteen: Class of 2017: the new ’16

Fellow first years, we have been on the bottom of the totem pole for quite some time now. The bottom is what we are used to. It is all we know.
Being there can be somewhat comforting. Because hazing at Bowdoin is practically a hate crime, there aren’t many drawbacks to first year living. I, for one, majorly enjoy my central location on campus in Moore Hall. The fact that food is never more than a couple steps away is enough to make me sing.
In addition, right now we are still in the “exploratory” phase of our liberal arts education. We still have some time to take as many intro classes as our hearts desire. Plus, declaring a major seems far in the distant future. Sure, being at the bottom is not the most glamorous, but it is free from the pressures and responsibilities of the top.

The Freshman Fifteen: No academic rest for Ivies

Fellow first years, I cannot believe how close we are to the end. Although the weather hit 32 degrees earlier this week, spring is supposedly upon us, and summer is scarily close.
It seems as if only yesterday I was writing about beer, boys and my first college house party—how young and naïve we were back then. Everything was so new and we were curious. Now, we are more comfortable in our surroundings. Bowdoin has become our second home. We are ready to move on to bigger and better things, and we are ready to go out with a bang. Ivies is upon us.
It seems as if this entire year I have been hearing about how epic Ivies will be. When I asked upperclassmen about their experience from last year, I received answers ranging from “It’s the craziest weekend of the year” to “I really enjoyed the parts I can remember.” Almost every club or sport has been ordering pinnies, T-shirts and tanks in preparation. Students have been anticipating performances for months. They are psyched to see the likes of Hoodie Allen and other musicians I’m pretending that I have heard of before. Some even started celebrating last Thursday because they couldn’t handle the anticipation.

The Freshman Fifteen

College House results rock first years

This piece represents the opinion of the author:

Julia Binswanger

Columnist

April 12, 2013

As many of you know, College House decisions were released this week, and naturally the results caused quite a stir amongst us first years. On Monday afternoon, I had immense trouble making my way through the Smith Union. There were two reasons for this: first, it was physically challenging to get through the sea of first years huddling like penguins checking their mailboxes, and second, I had a hard time watching the reactions of my fellow compatriots as they uncovered their fate.

The whole scene was like a battlefield. I saw a stocky hockey player fight his way to his mailbox by vehemently pushing a group of petite girls out of his path. I watched two excited friends do a ritual jump hug and make some sort of strangely high-pitched chihuahua-like victory screeches as they tore open their acceptances. And then, no more than a couple feet away, I saw the fallen—a group of boys silently staring at their letters with furrowed brows reflecting upon their loss. They had been hit by the news, and it had hit them hard.

Indeed, as difficult as figuring out blocks and writing College House applications was, the process of hearing back from Residential Life offered a whole other dramatic punch. In fact, I think this week created just as much tension, if not more, than the week applications were due.

The second decisions were released, it felt as if everyone immediately began gossiping about who had gotten into what house and who had been rejected. People wanted to ask their friends about letters, but weren’t sure if it was appropriate considering the feedback might be bad. Those who never applied were just happy to be detached from the whole situation.

As tough or joyous it can be to receive this news, it’s important to keep in mind that decisions should not be taken personally. The truth of the matter is that most Bowdoin students are qualified to live in the houses. I know I can think of at least five friends off the top of my head who I thought would have been great in a house, but for whatever reason did not receive good news.

Overall, there is very little transparency in the system. Many have walked away comparing themselves to similar blocks with different outcomes, unsure what exactly was the distinction between acceptance and denial. As a result, a bunch of first years have been left frustrated—some have even made the trek to Assistant Director of Residential Life Chris Rossi’s office demanding answers.

What’s more, I find it interesting just how hard this news is hitting some of my classmates. Being a part of a College House will undoubtably be a defining factor of sophomore year, but not our entire time at Bowdoin. I think the idea that College Houses determine the course of college careers is unwarranted.

Greek systems are all about making weird bonds between sisters and brothers that last eternally. This is not the case with College Houses—many students who spend a year living in one seldom return. Once members leave, they move on—and are ceremoniously described as “old” members of the house. Unlike a fraternity or a sorority, being a part of the College House does not necessarily make for lifelong connections.

First years have been high-strung all week about College Housing, but the College House system is by no means the end-all of our sophomore year. Yes, the system can be a wonderful thing, and to those who have received good news, congrats. However, the fact we are all part of the Bowdoin community will always be a more present factor than whether or not we are a part of a house.

Comments are permanently closed.