yourdirtysockzx

what's a moat?

btw, when do upperclassmen move in?

Voovi16

A moat is like what old medieval castles use to have--a big trench, probably 15 or 20 feet deep, dug around the perimeter of the building. In our case, it's only on the west side of Whitman though.

Upperclassmen move in on Sunday, September 9 (and anytime after that during the week that they feel like it), but there are always a fair number who move in early on the 6 or 7th because we have to be there to help with all the activities for you frosh!!

CL9589

I'm an incoming freshman, and I was placed in a 3-room quad. Just wondering, what do students usually do for furniture in the common rooms? (I found out that they are unfurnished from the housing dept.)

Voovi16

Most people with something like that end up buying a small couch and maybe some comfy bowl seats, maybe a coffee table too. Of course, a TV too, and maybe a mini-fridge, it really depends on what you want. I'd recommend talking to your roomie beforehand, although I probably wouldn't buy any big furniture pieces until you actually get there and see the layout of the room--some rooms have weird doors or angled corners that can impact what you'd buy. Also, it's easier to talk and compromise in person and throw around decorating ideas (posters, etc.). And you'll have plenty of time during frosh orientation week to go out and get stuff, so don't worry at all about not being able to furnish your room once you get there.

In terms of where to find cheap stuff, rule #1 is never buy stuff at the U-store if you don't have to--they're always a rip-off. I don't know if you're coming with parents and a car, but there are plenty of malls, all within a 5-minute drive. Market Fair Mall has upscale home furnishing stores, a movie theatre and a Barnes & noble...most people don't go there too much. Nassau Park Mall has all the big stores--Wal-Mart, Target, Kohls, Home Depot, Best Buy, etc., where I'd imagine you'd probably want to hit for cheap furniture (as well as Linens N' Things, for sheets, fans, all that other dorm stuff--definitely bring a fan, because the first few weeks of school and the last weeks are extremely hot and you won't have AC). Mercer Mall is right across the street from Nassau Park Mall and has a Bed Bath and Beyond that might also be useful. And just down the road, there's Quakerbridge Mall, which is your typical suburban mall with Sears, Macys, Gap, American Eagle, etc. So yeah, for cheap furniture I'd say Wal-Mart and Target, maybe Linens N' Things.

kraor143

awwww whitman doesn't have AC??

yourdirtysockzx

whitman does. i think Voovi means all the res colleges in general.

skysongx

When I took a Whitman tour, I'm pretty sure he said that there was no AC, just like all the rest of the colleges.

Voovi16

Yup, that is correct. Certain areas of Whitman are air-conditioned, like the common room and dining hall, and I believe the rooms are wired for AC, but by no means will they ever turn the AC on in the dorm rooms. Many other dorms across campus are wired for AC but it really doesn't matter since you'll never be able to use it.

ec1234

all of whitman is air conditioned- it's on now. There are individual temperature controls in the room and air conditioning units in all of the room

Voovi16

Right, they turn it on in summer, but once September rolls around it will be off.

f.scottie

i note that a website for whitman is now online. a lot of stuff is still to come, but those lucky enough to draw an assignment there can meet some of the staff they'll be interacting with over the next couple years.

https://whitman.princeton.edu/

kraor143

so in September do they turn the AC off in dorms like Bloomberg too?

ec1234

they turn ac off once it gets cold, so when you move in there will be ac assuming that its hot. Once it gets cold, you no longer need ac, instead there are individually controlled temperature units. In may the ac comes back on.

kraor143

ohh ok thanks! i was just wondering if i should think about bringing a fan

yourdirtysockzx

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/ed...pagewanted=all

THE Gothic towers and archways of Princeton’s newest dormitories were pieced together from 6,000 tons of hand-carved limestone and five types of bluestone, custom blended. Full-grown redwoods, cedars and firs were hoisted into place with cranes. Mahogany-framed leaded windows open the old-fashioned way, by hand-turned cranks, and the three-inch-thick oak doors were finished with teak oil rather than urethane.

At a cost of some $100 million, the residential complex known collectively as Whitman College looks as if it has always been there, on a campus whose traditions run centuries deep. The luxury continues inside: duplex suites, semiprivate dining rooms, classrooms, library with computer carrels, digital photo lab, performing arts theater with dressing rooms, lounge with a piano and big-screen television.

The clubs have evolved into much more than a place to take meals and can border on an obsession for those vying for entry to the older, more prestigious ones. Half of the 10 clubs, which shun publicity about their rituals and operations, still handpick new members through “bicker,” a multinight process said to be named for the bickering over which applicants to accept. Critics have long charged that the clubs reinforce socioeconomic divisions at a university whose population ranges from scions of the nation’s wealthiest families to students on full need-based scholarship. The clubs have also become known for underage drinking and noisy parties, in part because of the university’s longstanding ban on fraternities and sororities. (In recent years, though, Princeton students have formed several underground Greek organizations.)

(see full story at link provided above).

So what are you guys thinking of doing? staying in whitman or joining an eating club?