<p>Hi – my daughter just got her freshman dorm assignment - a single in a suite in Sontag.<br>
Can anyone tell me anything about this dorm:</p>
<p>Its personally?
What does the kitchen come supplied with?
Is there a common room in the suite – what is it like?
Who is the faculty member living there?
Anyone living there in the fall?
Anything else she should know, especially as a freshman?</p>
<p>Forgive my ignorance!</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>actually</p>
<p>since we all found out our dorm. how about we talk about every dorm here?
such as about its features and stereotypes</p>
<p>i’m at linde by the way</p>
<p>Your daughter got a Sontag single? Freshmen don’t get Sontag singles, usually. Lucky?!</p>
<p>I do hear that Sontag is a nice dorm and she feels lucky, but she doesn’t remember requesting a single and she certainly didn’t ask for any one dorm. I’m a little worried, as a mom, that she might be isolated - she doesn’t know who else is in the suite – if there are other freshman with her even. That said, I’m hoping to get a feel of what she will need to bring with her for this kind of living situation.</p>
<p>Cheers.</p>
<p>The personality of Sontag tends to vary from suite-to-suite (like many of the suite-based dorms). I never lived there, so I can’t tell you about the supplies of the kitchen. There is a common room in the suite; there’s a kitchen on one side of the common room, which is a medium-sized common space where people often have couches, TVs, or whatever the suite tends to feel sets up for the bets common area.</p>
<p>I don’t remember the answer to the other questions, but I think the most important thing is to get to know your suitemates. Next to roommates (which she apparently doesn’t have), they’ll be the people you see the most and often interact with the most.</p>
<p>It’s very rare for a freshman to pull a Sontag single. By this I mean that I’m not sure it’s happened before, outside of medical accommodations. As I recall, Mudd tends to try to keep frosh in doubles to avoid isolation. That being said, Sontag has a nice lounge. Moreover, in 2006-2007, somebody established the practice of living in the Sontag lounge. Since then, there’s pretty much always been someone there, so your daughter can always hang out in the lounge.</p>
<p>[deleted by the user]</p>
<p>A frosh getting a single, particularly in Sontag, is impossible without special medical reasons. The only reason I can think of for it occurring is that it belongs to a junior studying abroad fall semester, but even then it wouldn’t go to a frosh. Well, I suppose the large class size may have messed up the dorm system, but an upperclassmen not taking an open Sontag single is unheard of.</p>
<p>The personality of each Sontag suite is determined by the seniors living there, so it varies from year to year. The kitchens are fully furnished (microwave, refrigerator, stove, pots, pans, utensils) and there is a fairly large common area in the suite, but how it looks is determined by what was left there from the last year and what the new seniors bring in. Professor Bush and his wife and children lived in the faculty suite last year, I don’t know if they still are. </p>
<p>Each Sontag suite is composed of three (two for the two medical suites) singles and a double, so I would assume there will be two frosh in the double that your daughter can befriend, though a few of the doubles go to juniors. How well she can get to know the seniors depends on a lot of factors, but it’s possible.</p>
<p>So, here’s the facts, as best I can:</p>
<p>Sontag is a relatively quiet dorm. It is the newest dorm on campus, and thus often considered the ‘nicest’. It also has a high concentration of singles compared to other dorms. Most importantly, every suite has a kitchen. This means that it is coveted by upperclassmen, and consists overwhelmingly of seniors and some juniors, plus the freshmen that get placed there (it is very very hard for a sophomore to manage to get into sontag).</p>
<p>I honestly do not know what the kitchen comes supplied with, really. It has an oven, a stove, a microwave, a sink, and a full-size fridge with a freezer. It doesn’t come with any pots or cooking utensils unless the previous residents left some stuff behind.</p>
<p>Yes, each suite has a common room. Most suites in sontag are 3 singles, a double, and a bathroom arranged around a common room. The living room is good sized, with plenty of room for 2 or maybe three couches, a TV, some shelves, and plenty of leftover floor/walking space. Some suites in Sontag are known as “4-mans” - these are slightly smaller than the rest of the suites, and have only 2 singles instead of 3. The common room is around 2/3rds as large as a standard one, but still plenty roomy. (There are also 3-person suites called apartments, with an even smaller common room, but whatever.)</p>
<p>I do not know who the faculty-in-residence is this coming year. Last year it was an amazing biology professor (Bush) and his wife and their young daughter. They were great. I’m pretty sure they’re not coming back, though.</p>
<p>Now, as for your daughter getting a single -
This is, as already stated, very rare. I’ve learned that, in fact, your daughter and three other girls were all placed together in the suite together. Thus, two freshmen received singles in Sontag. This is even less heard-of. I know for a fact, and can see in my records, that the suite in which they were placed was completely claimed during room-draw, partially by a medical-pull. I do not know what happened to the four people planning on living there. Technically, all-frosh suites have been banned by one of the deans (for reasons discussed below) and are completely against DAC (Dormitory Affairs Committee) policy. Thus, I am not sure how this circumstance came about. </p>
<p>However, I would offer some words of caution for your daughter - don’t become isolated. Being in a single can lead to isolation enough; being in a suite with only freshman can lead to even more. If she is a social person, I’m sure this won’t be a problem, but for some mudders like myself, the combination of lack of social skills and physical isolation could easily lead me to become socially isolated as well. She just needs to make sure she gets out an socializes with everyone, as it is extremely easy to get caught up with your computer or your books or whatever and never emerge from your room except for class. </p>
<p>As for what she should bring with her… that is completely up to her and her suitemates. Coordinate with them so you don’t end up with 4 toasters but no microwave, or something silly like that.</p>
<p>Other than that, all I can say is, best of luck, and I look forward to meeting your daughter and all of the other Sontag frosh in the fall!</p>
<p>Sontag is indeed a lovely dorm. I was a freshman living in a Sontag double last year. I’m not sure what the kitchen comes supplied with originally, aside from the sink, fridge, and other things like that (appliances, is the word I’m looking for, I suppose). As for pots and pans, it does depend on the people who used to live there and the other people who are going to be living there. I cooked/baked about once or twice a month (at one point it was nearly weekly with a group of my friends) and I was able to find all of the pots, pans, and cooking utensils either in my suite or I was able to ask around the other suites and find it (people are nice like that). The lounge in each suite is pretty large (unless it’s filled with things from the residents who used to live there) and has a couch. Suites tend to coordinate on what’s in the suite lounge. There also tend to be some cooking ingredients left over in the pantry (I’m pretty sure that my suite might have some tea left), but I’d check the labels on those before using them.</p>
<p>@maruhan</p>
<p>In terms of dorm stereotypes, Linde has been called “the retirement home for former Westies”. Plenty of alcohol, drugs, and breaking things going on (especially couches and TVs…for some reason Linde seems to always have an excess of both) if you’re into that. I think there’s also a decent population of athletes, but I could be wrong about that. That said, your suite could potentially have a very different personality from the rest of the dorm. And if for some reason you don’t like Linde or your suite it’s not at all abnormal to spend the vast majority of your time in Platt or another dorm (this goes for any dorm, not just Linde). However, from what I remember of your previous posts, you’ll probably be quite happy where you are.</p>
<p>Though its a bit outdated, this thread covers the dorm stereotypes fairly well (see post 9):
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvey-mudd-college/337792-west-vs-linde.html?highlight=dorms+stereotypes[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvey-mudd-college/337792-west-vs-linde.html?highlight=dorms+stereotypes</a></p>
<p>If any of you want to know more specific things about the dorm that you’ve been placed in (or have questions/worries about the silly stereotypes above) then I’m sure someone would be happy to answer them but there’s no point in repeating old threads :)</p>
<p>I heard that an entire suite was assigned to Freshman, which doesnt really seem right. There is a high probability there is a mistake, so I would call and check with the deans to make sure this information is accurate.</p>
<p>Looking at the floor charts and folling where people say they have been assigned definitely shows that four frosh were all placed together in that suite.</p>
<p>However, on the floor chart, that suite is not hilighted yellow, unlike all other frosh rooms.</p>
<p>This, combined with the fact that all-frosh suites are banned, means there may have been a mistake of some kind. Not that I have any clue what they would do about it at this point.</p>
<p>I still don’t understand why all frosh dorms would have been banned in the past. I hope they don’t change the dorm assignments at this point, although it has just been a few days, my daughter has connected with her roommates and she is very happy with her placement. Maybe there was a specific reason that we all don’t know about that made for this room assignment anomoly… or maybe it was some combination of room turnover, space and timing. </p>
<p>Anyway, does anyone know if the suites come with a microwave? Or would that be something they may need to buy? Or will they just have to wait until they arrive to see what was left by the former residents?</p>
<p>cheers</p>
<p>I think a microwave is included with the Sontag suites, yes.</p>
<p>I believe that the people in that suite decided to move out to the apartments instead or chose different spots on campus after room draw - probably the former.</p>
<p>This leaves an entire suite open in Sontag, which is really weird to begin with, since Sontag typically closes in late senior draw/early junior draw. A junior studying abroad typically shares their single with somebody else who will be studying abroad in the other semester to keep things simple. Keep in mind that is is very, very unlikely that the freshmen in Sontag manage to get back in Sontag during sophomore year due to the way room draw works.</p>
<p>All frosh suites (not dorms) would have probably been banned in the past in order to help the frosh get acquainted and hold up better through their transition period. Having the ability to talk to an upperclassman who may be next door is really nice.</p>
<p>And yes, sontag suites come with a microwave as well as a fridge. You will need to probably bring pots, pans and silverware though - unless you manage to find stuff that people left behind. </p>
<p>Also, if you have any more questions about Sontag, I’m willing to answer - I’m a senior residing in Sontag this coming year who also was lucky enough to draw into Sontag junior year.</p>
<p>What HammerZZ said. </p>
<p>The reason all-frosh suites are banned is to ensure that they have upperclassmen nearby to help them assimilate and get through a (usually) very tough first year.</p>
<p>Word from one of the Deans is that the four people who had chosen that suite during room draw decided to collectively move to an apartment off campus. This left a suite open, and there happened to be four freshmen girls who still hadn’t been placed. (There were other complications and factors too, but I won’t go in to those.) The Dean and the freshmen placement committee decided that it was a better idea to give the suite to the freshmen and count on the rest of the dorm to assimilate them, rather than to mess with room draw even more and try to offer the singles to a pair of juniors or seniors.</p>
<p>Hope that answers your questions :)</p>
<p>P.S. Yes, there is a microwave, but that suite is very unlikely to have anything left behind, as it was previously occupied by juniors, who probably took all their stuff with them to their new dorm, rather than leaving it behind when they graduated.</p>
<p>@helpful mudder:</p>
<p>weird. I live in the South in a suite with three other guys. All of them are frosh. Single rooms obviously.</p>
<p>
Outer-dorm all-frosh suites, you mean. Frosh in inner-dorm live in suites with other frosh.</p>
<p>Questions from a mom here about Sontag. My son is assigned to a double room in a suite in Sontag this fall. I have some questions that my son has no interest in finding answers for, so here I am lol.</p>
<p>Do the rooms have closets or wardrobes? How big are they? Any shelves in them?</p>
<p>Do students need to bring desk lamps? Do the desks have built in shelves above? Is there any overhead lighting in the room?</p>
<p>Do the Sontag suites have one bathroom for five students? Are the sink(s), toilet and shower all enclosed inside the room, (making multi-use difficult)? </p>
<p>Are the beds loftable? Do many students do this?</p>
<p>Thank you for being willing to answer questions. I am just trying to figure out what my son needs to bring and how much space he will have.</p>