<p>smee, he definitely met girls from West that he would not have otherwise. One of them is still a very good friend, even though they don’t hang in the same social circles. My impression of the common room was that it got used, but wasn’t necessarily a central gathering space for larger crowds. On family week-end I saw a small group of girls watching tv, and a family playing cards at one of the tables. It is in the center of the “T” shape of the dorms, so it gets a lot of through traffic. Other gathering spots for Virginia/West residents are the front and side porches. I often see kids sitting at the tables on the side porch of Virginia. </p>