Earlier this month, The Herald reported that the Office of Residential Life is considering a reorganization of on-campus housing that would concentrate first-year dorms and dining around either Keeney or Pembroke campus. Though these plans are only in the preliminary phase, we applaud this effort to foster a more communal first-year experience. Current complaints about an unequal and segmented living experience for incoming students are warranted, and furthermore, re-allocating housing spaces on campus will likely benefit all classes.
Keeney and Pembroke each boast advantages to being the locus for first-year living. Keeney is conveniently close to the Sharpe Refectory and the Main Green, easing the first few weeks of difficult navigating for those new to campus at the beginning of each year. Having first-years in proximity to main campus and one another may also diminish the safety risks posed by students walking late at night, frequently alone and across long distances between their dorms and their academic and social activities. But Keeney lacks the lounge space necessary to accommodate an entire first-year class, and its layout is not likely to foster the same kind of bonding that smaller, quieter dorms do.
On the other hand, Pembroke, as a cluster of separate buildings, provides more opportunities for units to coalesce. Though further from campus, a more removed first-year living space may aid in forming connections in a quieter, less formal setting. It is worth pointing out, of course, that whichever area is not used for first-year housing would become sophomore and upperclass dorms, and Pembroke may offer more diverse options for those entering the housing lottery after their first year. Either location would require structural renovation as well as a reorganization of community resources like units and residential peer leaders before becoming the potential home to all first-years, and we are happy to note that ResLife is taking these needs into consideration.
Though some have raised concerns that removing upperclassmen from first-year dorms would reduce inter-class friendships, we have found that there are plenty of other — and perhaps more effective — ways of making friends in other classes through student activities. Additionally, if more University housing is made available for older students, more social activities will take place on-campus, increasing the sense of community among all undergraduates.
At the very least, the proposed renovations to the dining halls would be a boon to all students, whether or not on-campus housing is restructured in the near future. Updating and expanding the Ratty and the Verney-Woolley Dining Hall might draw more students from other crowded eateries like the Blue Room, and will certainly be necessary if enrollment is increased as planned.
We are pleased to see that ResLife and the Corporation are brainstorming ways to make the first-year living experience more cohesive. Presenting a well-constructed first-year community is likely to serve as one more reason for prospective students to look forward to attending Brown.
Editorials are written by The Herald's editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
