freshmen housing in Vassar

ofcounsel
Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:08:18 +0000

kenziejenny:

Congrats on getting accepted at Vassar. It’s a great place! My daughter is a freshman and is very happy.

There are some good summaries of dorms on the Vassar forum; search the forum for “dorms”. Copied below is a post from littleathiest dated 12/28/07 that I think is pretty good.

I’m a current freshman, so here’s my take on house stereotypes…

Lathrop: the stereotypical “party” dorm, Lathrop is known for being loud and a bit worn out in appearance. It’s on the residential quad and quite convinient to ACDC. I personally don’t find Lathrop to be quite as crazy as people make it out to be (my bf lives there, so I’m there rather often), but that’s just my opinion. Lathrop is the host of “The Seven Sins” party which occurs annually.

Josselyn (Joss): located just off the main residential quad, it faces a huge grassy lawn. I’ve heard the dorm described as “rebellious” before due to the lack of involvement of its members in Serenading (don’t know if that’s true though because I didn’t attend the event). The dorm is also known for a particularly successful intermural sports team and having residents who are “sex-obsessed” (although I’m unconvinced that this is more true in Joss than in any other dorm on campus). It has recently refurbished bathrooms and a new parlor complete with pool and ping-pong tables. This past semester, Joss was a co-host of the Harvest Ball, an annual semi-formal dance.

Strong: the all-female dorm on campus, Strong is known for being very quiet and clean. It’s located on the Quad and is quite convinient to both Main and ACDC. Strong co-hosted a “Mods and Rockers” themed dance this past semester.

Cushing: known as the “Harry Potter” dorm, architecturally-speaking, Cushing is, debatably, the most attractive dorm on campus. It’s also the most isolated from the other dorms in that it is furthest from the residential quad, although it’s very convinient to the Psychology, Education, and Anthropology buildings. Due to its isoalted nature, Cushing residents are known as being “anti-social.” Cushing traditionally hosts Scantily Clad.

Noyes: Noyes is traditionally known as the “weird” dorm, both architecturally and people-wise (although I’d question this). It’s convinient to ACDC and has a grassy circle in front of it where the Ultimate Frisbee team practices (and which frequently floods with heavy rain). The dorm is the only one open year-round, and is thus where students who don’t go home for Winter Break or stay on over the summer live. Up until a couple of years ago, most international students were housed in Noyes; however, this practice has changed. This past semester, Noyes co-hosted the Mods and Rockers dance.

Main: The dorm rooms of Main are situated above the student center, a variety of academic offices, and the Retreat. It’s also a national historic landmark and located in the center of campus, which means that it’s probably the most convinient dorm to live in. Due to its large size, Main is known for a large amount of house spirit (and has won at the Brewer Games and Serenading for several years running). It’s also known for showers which never get properly warm (once again, due to size) and a complex floor layout. Main hosted the Moulin Rogue Dance this past semester.

Jewett: Jewett was renovated in 2005, so is thus the newest dorm on campus (complete with lofted beds). Its inner appearance has been described as a hotel due to its small room size and overall feel. This has caused some Vassar students to believe that the dorm lacks “the character” of the other houses. The outer architecture has been frequently described as “phallus-like” due to the tower part of the dorm, which has nine floors (and, thankfully for its residents, an elevator). It’s located on the main residential quad and is convinient to ACDC. Jewett is also known for its oversensitive fire alarms which go off more than in any other dorm.

Davison: Closed for renovation in the 2008-2009 school year, Davison is stereotypically known as the “family” dorm due to its particularly friendly residents. It’s located on the residential quad and Joss Beach. The dorm is also known for being one of the more quiet ones to live in, which could be due to the fact that the first two floors contain both Quiet and Wellness corridors. Davison co-hosts the Harvest Ball annually.

Raymond: Located on both Joss Beach and the Quad, Raymond is, to the best of my knowledge, very similar to Davison in that it’s relatively quiet, hosts few loud parties, and is known for its friendly residents. It also has a reputation of having residents who are “a little bit weird” (although I’m not entirely sure what that means). Raymond hosts the Halloween events on campus.

Ferry: a cooperative living house, Ferry is the home of about twenty students at Vassar. In order to live in Ferry, one must submit an application and be accepted into the house. It is Vegan and requires its residents to contribute to such chores as keeping the house clean and cooking for it. It is centrally located and was recently rennovated (I think).