The Quad: First-years Appear Drawn

When members of the class of '98 arrived in Cambridge last September, their housing was all taken care of. Now, after seemingly endless house tours, blocking-group breakups and battles over everything from dining halls to proximity to the Mac, it's all been taken care of again.

Well, sort of.

First-year students submitted their four top residential choices yesterday for this year's housing lottery. On Wednesday, April 5, Yardlings will receive their randomly generated lottery numbers and be assigned to whichever of their choices the computer spits out when their number comes up. Even if it's in the Qaud.

But many students say they will greet exile up Garden Street with delight. While the River houses remain popular, spacious rooms and guaranteed singles are luring some. rising sophomores to Cabot, Currier, and--nextyear--Pforzheimer.

Steve M. Gipstein '98 said his blocking grouphopes to be assigned to a house on the Quad "Causeit rocks! It's got the best rooms." Gipstein saiddistance from the Yard and the River, a majorreason for Quadhatred, was "not a factor" in hisgroup's decision.

Matthew J. DeGreeff, a proctor in Grays Hall,said he has observed this year and last year thatmany first years hope to live in the Quad or inMather House because they want single bedrooms.

"It's interesting because more and morestudents would rather have a single over aparticular house," DeGreeff said. "You could saythat's a social trend more than anything--kids arecoming out of single-parent families, alwayshaving had their own bedroom."

Peter H. Ahn '98, who said his group includedCurrier House on their list, expressedappreciation of the Quad's spacious design. "It'squieter and the rooms are larger," Ahn said.

Despite the apparent increase in Quadpopularity, many first years still pin their hopeson assignment to one of the River Houses.

Anthony W. Greenberg '98 said his blockinggroup hopes to get into Winthrop House. "It'scool," Greenberg said, "Nice dining room, friendlypeople, and section 12!" Section 12 is a group ofseats reserved for Winthrop residents at Harvardhockey games, Greenberg said.

Many students also said their extracurricularactivities necessitated living on the River.

Tom T. Giardi '98, who said he and his roominggroup are all athletes, pointed out the differencebetween walking to practice from the Yard andwalking from the Quad. "That's an extra 15minutes, so every day that's a half hour walk toget to practice," said Giardi. "It's like you'rewasting an hour of your day."

Greenberg echoed Giardi's concerns, sayingthat living on the Quad is a "big no-no" for hisgroup "because everybody plays a sport that meetsat the MAC."

Many first years said that the biggest strainof applying for housing was not concern aboutwhich house they would be assigned to, but thedifficulty of choosing blocking groups andreconciling their group members' house preferencesto come up with a final list of four choices.

Jae Hyuk Choi '98 said the housing applicationprocess was problematic for him and his friends."It did cause some tension," Choi said. "We hada group of 14, and basically we split up. No onewants to split up, so you figure that it gotpretty hairy for a bit."

Timothy S. Eller '98 told a similar horrorstory about his group's experience.

"We were all convinced we were going to Quincy,because we all hang out there a lot, until themain person who wanted to go to Quincy wasn't herethis weekend," Eller said.

Eller said his group's final list consisted ofthe three Quad houses and Kirkland House, causinga break with the Quincy supporter. "She said she'dsplit if we went to the Quad, so we split andshe's on her own now."

Even groups whose disagreements did not resultin dissolution were strained by the applicationprocess, students said. "People are happy with thesituation now, but they're still unhappy becausethey didn't all get what they wanted," said MaryL. Gallagher '98.

Some lucky first years said they escaped thestress of inter-group conflict. "We talked aboutit for a little bit, but we came to a consensuspretty quickly," said Blake A. Johnston '98.Johnston's group chose Lowell, Eliot, Leverettand Winthrop.

DeGreeff said he did not think his proctees hadany more difficulties with the housing applicationprocess than did first years in previous classes.He concurred with many of the students interviewedthat the interpersonal aspects of the process arethe hardest to overcome.

"The greatest amount of anxiety comes overwhich people to room with and who to block with,"he said.

DeGreef said he is optimistic about firstyears' ability to adjust to houses they may nothave favored originally. He said a group of hisproctees last year had wanted to live in the Quadand were dismayed when they were assigned to AdamsHouse. Now, however, they love living in Adams,DeGreef said.

"You make the house what you want to make itonce you get there," he said

Steve M. Gipstein '98 said his blocking grouphopes to be assigned to a house on the Quad "Causeit rocks! It's got the best rooms." Gipstein saiddistance from the Yard and the River, a majorreason for Quadhatred, was "not a factor" in hisgroup's decision.

Matthew J. DeGreeff, a proctor in Grays Hall,said he has observed this year and last year thatmany first years hope to live in the Quad or inMather House because they want single bedrooms.

"It's interesting because more and morestudents would rather have a single over aparticular house," DeGreeff said. "You could saythat's a social trend more than anything--kids arecoming out of single-parent families, alwayshaving had their own bedroom."

Peter H. Ahn '98, who said his group includedCurrier House on their list, expressedappreciation of the Quad's spacious design. "It'squieter and the rooms are larger," Ahn said.

Despite the apparent increase in Quadpopularity, many first years still pin their hopeson assignment to one of the River Houses.

Anthony W. Greenberg '98 said his blockinggroup hopes to get into Winthrop House. "It'scool," Greenberg said, "Nice dining room, friendlypeople, and section 12!" Section 12 is a group ofseats reserved for Winthrop residents at Harvardhockey games, Greenberg said.

Many students also said their extracurricularactivities necessitated living on the River.

Tom T. Giardi '98, who said he and his roominggroup are all athletes, pointed out the differencebetween walking to practice from the Yard andwalking from the Quad. "That's an extra 15minutes, so every day that's a half hour walk toget to practice," said Giardi. "It's like you'rewasting an hour of your day."

Greenberg echoed Giardi's concerns, sayingthat living on the Quad is a "big no-no" for hisgroup "because everybody plays a sport that meetsat the MAC."

Many first years said that the biggest strainof applying for housing was not concern aboutwhich house they would be assigned to, but thedifficulty of choosing blocking groups andreconciling their group members' house preferencesto come up with a final list of four choices.

Jae Hyuk Choi '98 said the housing applicationprocess was problematic for him and his friends."It did cause some tension," Choi said. "We hada group of 14, and basically we split up. No onewants to split up, so you figure that it gotpretty hairy for a bit."

Timothy S. Eller '98 told a similar horrorstory about his group's experience.

"We were all convinced we were going to Quincy,because we all hang out there a lot, until themain person who wanted to go to Quincy wasn't herethis weekend," Eller said.

Eller said his group's final list consisted ofthe three Quad houses and Kirkland House, causinga break with the Quincy supporter. "She said she'dsplit if we went to the Quad, so we split andshe's on her own now."

Even groups whose disagreements did not resultin dissolution were strained by the applicationprocess, students said. "People are happy with thesituation now, but they're still unhappy becausethey didn't all get what they wanted," said MaryL. Gallagher '98.

Some lucky first years said they escaped thestress of inter-group conflict. "We talked aboutit for a little bit, but we came to a consensuspretty quickly," said Blake A. Johnston '98.Johnston's group chose Lowell, Eliot, Leverettand Winthrop.

DeGreeff said he did not think his proctees hadany more difficulties with the housing applicationprocess than did first years in previous classes.He concurred with many of the students interviewedthat the interpersonal aspects of the process arethe hardest to overcome.

"The greatest amount of anxiety comes overwhich people to room with and who to block with,"he said.

DeGreef said he is optimistic about firstyears' ability to adjust to houses they may nothave favored originally. He said a group of hisproctees last year had wanted to live in the Quadand were dismayed when they were assigned to AdamsHouse. Now, however, they love living in Adams,DeGreef said.

"You make the house what you want to make itonce you get there," he said