<p>Ssn: revamping housing was my #1 suggested change. I think a true revamp, though, would cost a LOT of money (think like $500M). Max P is an eye sore, the random dorms (breck, Maclean) are too small, and even North isn’t set up in a way that maximizes a good “house” feel - its essentially a couple high rise buildings housing students. </p>
<p>A structural change to expand each “house” would also be expensive. The house system now has common rooms and cloister/halls built for around 100. So, each house is about 100 people. Every dorm would need to be renovated (with expanded house common spaces) to accommodate larger core houses. </p>
<p>Some more moderate changes could be made (eg combining houses on two floors to create one larger house), but, along with those changes, I think the other points I list above - on aggregate - would improve student life. </p>
<p>Sports teams should increase because the size of the college has increased. Square footage for student clubs should increase for the same reason. Also as importantly, the school should seek to create more unifying social spaces right on/near campus. Jimmy’s isn’t cutting it, and the reg should not be a major student hub. Some hallmark traditions would help as well. When I meet someone from penn, I can almost guarantee you they went to fling at least once, and went to smokes or cavs (two bars on campus). Many alums will wax nostalgic about those events and places. Similarly, a student from brown will have gone to at least one sex power god party, me gone to a midnight organ recital. It’s rare I meet students from these schools who really hate these traditions. At uchicago, if I ask an alum about scav, there’s a chance I’ll be bombarded with a long discussion about some inane scav item, or treated to a scathing review of how weird and annoying scav is. </p>
<p>The administration has expanded the college, but the growth has been too fast, without due attention to some of the systemic problems (house system being #1) that still plague the school. The article writers are surely on the extreme end of the spectrum here, but the notion that uchicago collective identity (outside of academics) is weak is tenable. As I said earlier, the life of the mind can be part of - but not wholly - the unifying theme for the college. </p>
<p>It’s frustrating as an alum to see that some problems still persist. </p>