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Yeah, this year they are the ones helping move the kids in, at least for my son. ;)</p>
<p>Last year must have been the first year for “Raise your voices here” at the convocation. Thanks for posting the video link above since it was beautiful. I had expected to hear “Bright College Years” but was pleasantly surprised.</p>
<p>Does anyone else think it ludicrous that while res colleges opened last Wednesday, there is no dining services until almost a week later?!?</p>
<p>My2sunz! Yes I do and am thinking of writing a letter, especially since we pay the same room and board as freshman. My D has been there since the 18th running a freshman orientation program they fed her while she did that but it ended on Thursday and then she was left on her own to feed herself. Did they expect her to go home till Wednesday? Write a letter as well maybe it will change for next year!</p>
<p>My D was one of the sophomore’s helping move in on Friday said it was a lot of fun! She did relay one story to us which kind of surprised me. They opened up a car of a freshman girl and carried up several cases of alcohol, beer and wine to her room. I asked her if she commented and she said, I asked if this stuff goes as well and the parents said yes! Although I know college kids drink I am surprised that a freshman parent would “stock up” for their daughter. This led to a long conversation with my husband and I about what we would have done if our Daughters roommate showed up with all that alcohol? We couldn’t come to a consensus. (Apparently it was a complete case of hard liquor, two cases of beer and case of wine?) Although its not our problem just curious what would you do, would you say something to the parents or the student or just discuss with your daughter or report it? My daughter said she would have been pretty worried about what kind of roommate she had if it had been her roommates last year. My daughter just took it up and said nothing…</p>
<p>That is brazen for a freshman! It sounds more like sophomore and junior behavior to me.</p>
<p>Last year, I was surprised by the amount of drinking my freshman son did. I’m facebook friends with both of my children, so I get to view all the glorious photos of their escapades – and sometimes too much knowledge is not a good thing! From the photos posted, it seems many frat parties supply free beer and spiked punch, as do upperclass parties held in the colleges, not to mention parties before the big game. Although I don’t approve, and I worry about binge-drinking, there’s not much you can do, other than not purchasing the alcohol for them.</p>
<p>
We were unpleasantly surprised and disappointed by this change–three years ago, they sang “Bright College Years,” and it was great seeing all the waving handkerchiefs. I can’t imagine why they made the change.</p>
<p>Count me in as an annoyed parent on the no-food-for-nonfreshmen issue. </p>
<p>As far as the alcohol issue described above- that seems incredibly excessive, particularly the case of hard alcohol. EAO, I don’t know if your daughter would feel comfortable letting the FroCo on that girl’s floor know, but it seems like someone should say something. With an entire dorm full of freshmen experiencing their first true days of freedom, if some of those bottles found their way into the hands (and stomachs) of less worldly kids the results could be tragic. And somehow having a Yale sophomore carting the boxes up with the parents’ awareness makes me worried too, as in an implication of being complicit- even though EAO I know your daughter truly felt uncomfortable. I can see the the headlines now…yuck</p>
<p>If my daughter’s new roommate came in loaded with alcohol like that, I’m afraid I would have complained. And probably not just to the FroCo, but to an actual adult in charge. After all the emails and letters we’ve been getting about student drinking, I just would be surprised if they would allow that sort of thing. Those parents were taking a risk, too, I would think. The drinking age is 21. Isn’t supplying alcohol to a minor against the law? Couldn’t charges be brought up against them? I know this is college, but the laws still apply on campus…</p>
<p>I saw quite a few damp eyes (dads as well as moms) at the Freshman Assembly. (Not mine, of course :-))</p>
<p>Count me in on being unhappy with the lack of dining…last year dining opened Monday am for breakfast at Commons…I thought all dining opened for everyone then and I am pretty sure that K1 missed a meal or so that weekend since dining wasn’t available…</p>
<p>K1 has been there since Tuesday evening and I can’t imagine Ivy Noodle, Pepes etc is unhappy about everyone being around and no dining hall options…
IMHO it isn’t healthy and frankly the kids like eating at their RCs.</p>
<p>On the cases of alcohol–that is SHOCKING that parents would be moving their freshman in with that! Frankly YALE could get on the student and parents for breaking all of those rules…</p>
<p>I have a nephew - who on the last day before his graduation from a private high school–was with his mom… He was heading to his dorm–with his mom–carrying a package for her that included some beer. He was dismissed from the school without the diploma!!! </p>
<p>Gibby—yes the availability is there–on and off campus</p>
<p>When I was in college–the age was 18…I recall taking 1 large jug handled bottle of Bacardi back to school after the holidays. THAT one bottle was considered alot…</p>
<p>What a difference eight years makes. Eight years ago they said nothing about alcohol. Now in every meeting the kids have been to it’s come up – even in the Dean’s address. Not to mention all the literature that came home. There is definitely a shift on Yale’s part. I am shocked about that move-in story and I think the movers should be trained to refuse to move alcohol for a minor in keeping with the school’s stated policy. </p>
<p>We made it through move-in and Saturday was surprisingly relaxed. My son has a very odd room situation. I posted a while back he was in a suite of only two people. We mused on this board that there would be people across the hall, etc. It’s very weird. You come down the stairs of his building (Farnam) and go to the left and then do a little left and there is the room. To get to the next closest room you come out and turn and go about ten feet or so and enter a hallway and there on the right are a few suites in a row. You would not know my son’s room is there unless you knew it was there. There is an odd round anteroom with a built-in cement horseshoe bench and a fire door. There is one spot where a desk can go. Then there is the double which is a very good size, closets in a mini-hall outside the bathroom that two share. It’s a lot of living space for two people, but they will need to make much more of an effort than most students to socialize with other JE kids. DS is kind of disappointed about that as he is a highly social kid, but I think he has a good attitude and I think he’ll get along with his roommate who seems nice. But if a kid got sick or depressed, this would be a terrible location to be in because no one would notice there was a problem. They are completely out of sight.</p>
<p>mimk: I lived in Farnham and was in JE. I know the room you’re speaking about. It’ll be fine in all likelihood. The suite set up in Farnham is conducive to socializing well even if he’s not attached to one.</p>
<p>Go JE!</p>
<p>Returned from a smooth move in. Thanks to everyone for the details that made the events more predictable and less stressful. For the Freshman Assembly/Convocation, the tips about the sun shining in the room allowed us to choose to sit on the left side of the hall with no sun. Advice on what to wear allowed H to leave jacket at home, yet still be ok with shirt and tie. Maybe 10% of fathers were in jackets. Maybe 40% in ties. Skipped the President’s receiving line, per your advice, which allowed D to want to go to lunch with us (and try 5 guys, first time for us Californians), which was a nicer use of our time. Thanks to all of you Yale veterans for the tips!</p>
<p>I thought the Freshman Assembly was very moving, and the Glee Club’s performance of “Raise Your Voices Here” lovely – lyrics very touching and appropriate.</p>
<p>Question for you experienced parents: My freshman met with his faculty advisor today, and was surprised that he had been assigned to a non-academic administrator, not a professor, and somebody quite new to Yale. He was a bit taken aback; I am VERY taken aback. </p>
<p>Son is an aspiring science student and really needs some experienced and specific guidance. I have encouraged him to talk to someone in the dept of interest, but am very disappointed – as is he. After all we had read about Yale’s good academic advising, I had expected more. Is this a common occurrence, or an unlucky aberration? Why would someone who has nothing to do with academics be assigned as an academic advisor, esp. to a freshman? I will do nothing, but wonder if I am right to be dismayed.</p>
<p>Thanks T26E4. It’s nice to know someone understands what the situation is.</p>
<p>Wow, EAO1227 - were the students who were helping to move the freshmen told anything about how to handle illegal items being moved into the dorms?</p>
<p>Morning All</p>
<p>Fresh coffee is made. Help yourselves.</p>
<p>Bookmobile. There are several advisors to the kids. One thing your student can do is speak with the head of the dept or one of the faculty. Our student is a STEM major as well and beyond the advisor who helps them with registration, K1 has discussed things with both the head of the MechE and CompE in order to navigate choices/options. The inital courses a freshman takes - the leveling in math, the foreign language etc are more clear cut. So I wouldn’t panic in the first days of shopping period and registration. I can tell you that last year when K1 was a freshman we had questions about how the APs applied or didn’t as far as opening a full semester in the schedule etc. The advisors and Deans office are reticient to speak with parents since our students are now adults…I did get some clearer understanding of what was on the website…and actually knew more from reading a departments page than the advisor knew (which worried me) However in the end K1 got the information needed by, as I said, connecting with the department advisors. Think of it this way–it is a class of 1200-1500 or so…and the kids can and will change majors so the advisors help get them started, and the kids have to navigate with the profs etc in the departments as they narrow their path. Make sense?</p>
<p>Mimk6 Actually that suite sounds divine! A bath for 2? really that is amazing. They will be happy that their room is off the beaten track when they want to study and sleep…and they will make plenty of friends in their entryway… The frocos get everyone involved and they will have to invite people from the entryway in etc…so people know where they are and they get to know everyone. I think it is a win-win.</p>
<p>Fogfog --</p>
<p>This does make sense, and he has already reached out to someone departmentally, so that is good. Some of the questions he has were not addressed on the departmental or 2016 webpages. I know that it is his problem to handle, and am hopeful that he is doing so. Still, I am disappointed that someone who by her own admission is not really qualified to give academic advice about Yale is serving as an advisor.</p>
<p>Thanks very much for your take. Now please pass the caffeine? ; )</p>
<p>im looking forward to registering for campus vibe and their new campaigns as im already so impressed with what they have portrayed and the other ivys too, but yale has always been my favorite and its lived up to its reputation, and i wish them best of luck in their outlook and ideals(and what they or we hence believe in as that is wht ivys are all about)</p>