Undergrads Choose to Block Alone

The night before blocking forms were due, Graham M. Frankel ’12 and his soon-to-be blockmates suddenly realized that their potential blocking group included nine people­, one more than the maximum of eight.

In a “down-to-the-wire last-minute deal,” Frankel and his blocking group were forced to resolve the situation. Since Frankel wanted a single bedroom and didn’t have a natural roommate in the group, Frankel was left alone as the other eight blocked together. Frankel would link with their group but block as an individual—a form of blocking that has been dubbed “floating.”

Although linking guaranteed that his friends would be in the same neighborhood, Frankel entered Pforzheimer House alone. Two years later, he serves as co-chair of his House Committee and is friends “with over half the house,” he says.

There are a variety of reasons why people choose to pursue Frankel’s path and float.

Some, like Frankel, have too many people in their blocking group, forcing one individual to go it alone. Others failed to find their niche freshman year and want to use sophomore year to explore new social environments. Still others use floating as an opportunity to meet more people.

TO BLOCK OR NOT TO BLOCK

Every February, discussions in Annenberg Hall and freshman dormitories revolve around the creation of blocking groups. But fewer conversations center on the possible benefits of floating.

Kip C. Christianson ’13 says that by November, he already knew that he wanted to block individually.

He says that although he had offers from several blocking groups, he considered joining them for “all of five seconds” before choosing to stick with his decision to float. He says that he met many interesting people over the course of his freshman year, and he thought that floating would facilitate a repetition of that experience sophomore year.

“I knew that in my freshman year the people I had associated with had been generally similar to me,” Christianson says.

“The decision to float came from a desire to experience more of what Harvard had to offer,” he says.

Christopher A. Hopper ’13 says that like Christianson, he was excited by the opportunity to meet new people and therefore was not seriously concerned when he realized that his entryway mates in Stoughton North had already filled the blocking group he had intended to join.

Hopper says that although blocking might add some security to the Housing situation, he was ambivalent because he said he is “an adventurous person.”

Among those interviewed, most floaters described themselves as “adventurous” and as harboring a desire to broaden their network.

André B. Crutcher ’14, like Frankel, had a potential blocking group of nine people.

But he says, “I’m kind of in a rut. I feel like meeting more people.”

Crutcher says that in addition to deciding to float, next year he plans to take on more extracurricular activities in order to meet new people.

Frankel acknowledged that there is often a stigma attached to floating. Some say that floaters tend to lack a solid group of friends or have problems interacting in social situations.

But Frankel points to his own experience as proof that the situation differs from person to person.

“I’m very social, and I floated,” Frankel says.

THE STIGMA OF FLOATING?

Administrators agree with Frankel, saying that it is impossible to categorize all floaters as one particular type of person since there are many reasons why a person might choose to block individually.

Dean of Freshmen Thomas A. Dingman ’67 says that students have often approached him to discuss both the merits and disadvantages of floating.

According to Dingman, when a person is particularly concerned about the prospect of blocking alone, the Freshman Dean’s Office works hard to help them find a new roommate.

But sometimes, he says, students approach him with concerns about how floating will impact their social status.

“Some have simply wondered what it means about themselves in other people’s minds, and that, it seems to me, is unfortunate,” Dingman says.

He says that the Freshman Dean’s Office and the Office of Student Life have been working hard to try to remove some of the stress of the blocking process by asking all freshman proctors to meet with their entryways to discuss the lottery. Floating is among the issues that the proctors are supposed to raise with their entryways, Dingman says.

Associate Dean of Student Life Joshua G. McIntosh says that he is “cautious” about making assumptions regarding people who float.

According to McIntosh, the Office of Student Life does not prefer some Houses over others when assigning Houses to one-person blocking groups.

“Despite popular belief and mythology to the contrary, the process of assigning students to Houses is completely random.” McIntosh says of the Housing lottery.

He says that House administrators, who are in charge of rooming, are made aware of the presence of one-person blocking groups when they receive a list of their House’s rising sophomores listed by blocking group.

Given the variety in the size of rooms available for sophomore Housing, it is up to the individual Houses to determine how to room floaters, according to McIntosh.

Adams House Master John G. “Sean” Palfrey ’67 says that in Adams, floaters are not guaranteed singles, nor do they always ask to be housed alone. He says that the House tries to accommodate their wishes and make them feel comfortable in their new House.

“I think it would be unfortunate if you just had floater rooms that were singles where people would just come in and not know anybody,” Palfrey says. “It would be sad.”

FLOATING INTO BLISS

But that’s not the case.

Frankel describes his decision to float as “the best choice that I could have made.” He says that entering Pforzheimer without a set group of friends forced him to become closer with other members of his House.

Similarly, Christianson says that although he has maintained his friendships with the people he chose not to block with, he too has become closer with his House because of his decision to float.

He also says that he appreciates having a new roommate whom, until this year, he had never met.

“It’s really been an incredible experience,” Christianson says. “It’s an opportunity for growth.”

Christianson adds that he believes that he and his roommate may have been assigned their two-room double, which he describes as “one of the best rooms in the House,” partially because of his decision to float.

He spoke with the Winthrop House administrator, Joanna G. Miller, before entering the House, and advises that other incoming freshman floaters do the same.

“Try to give them as much information as you can because the House administrator really does contribute to your future,” Christianson says.

Floating might not be for everyone, but those who are considering it should not be discouraged from doing so, Hopper says.

“If you want security, you might want to block with someone. But just do it if you’re not afraid to meet new people and not afraid to take a risk,” Hopper says.

—Staff writer Monika L. S. Robbins can be reached at mrobbins@college.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Hana N. Rouse can be reached at hrouse@college.harvard.edu.