<p>As we all know, freshman are randomly assigned to residential colleges, unless they are legacies, in which case they can choose to be in the legacy college or to be in any college but that one. I learned this week from reading the info packet that there is at least one other small exception–if you are an Orthodox Jew who observes the Sabbath to the extent of not using electronic devices, there is one college they will not assign you to because there is no non-electronic alternative means of entry (because of a “divided courtyard,” which I guess means it’s Berkeley).</p>
<p>Don’t you need an electronic key to get into any college gate? Are they suggesting that Orthodox students really enter a college before sundown on the sabbath and stay within its walls until Saturday night? I’m no Orthodox Jew but I would be surprised if many (or any) of them at Yale would have a problem passively allowing a proximity sensing card in their pocket to allow opening of a door. Without use of such a system, how can you even get into your Old Campus dorm? If you would stand there until someone else happened to open your entry door, how would this be different on the RC level?</p>
<p>The mechanical keys for the Sabbath work on both the gates and the room door. And yes, if you’re observant the electronic key card is a problem on Shabbat.</p>
<p>I’m just reporting what I read in a letter from the Slifka center, but it indicated that there is a “mechanical” (I think that was the word) means of entry into all of the colleges but one. I don’t think it referred to a key, specifically.</p>
<p>Yes, as I recall there is at least one RC (maybe two?) to which observant kids are not assigned because there’s no means of “acoustic” (non-electronic) entry. This issue was front and center for my kid.</p>
<p>Just curious, how do the non-electronic entry gates work? My daughter’s in TD and I’ve never seen her do anything other than swipe her card to get in (or push the button to get out).</p>
<p>The gate has a keyhole that can be used with a traditional, physical key – just like on your front door. The only time the mechanical key has to be used is on the Sabbath or specific Jewish holidays where use of electricity is forbidden. The rest of the time it’s the electronic key.</p>
<p>Actually, most of the colleges have separate gates that are key operated. The keys don’t open the same gates that are opened electronically. Sometimes they’re right next to each other, sometimes they’re so well hidden that most students in the college don’t even know they exist, and sometimes they’re better known than the electronic gate.</p>