Yale's Residential Colleges are more than random dorms -- they're a way of life

During your first weeks at Yale, you'll be bombarded with three questions: What's your name? Where are you from? What college are you in? The first two questions are pretty easy, but the third one's a little more difficult. What does it mean when someone answers "Pierson" or "Silliman?"

Each residential college has a different character, and each student usually claims that his or hers is the best. Modeled after the college systems of Oxford and Cambridge, the residential college system is designed to make the large community of Yale University more intimate. Residential colleges provide you with an close-knit environment without isolating you from the rest of campus.

You're randomly assigned to a college before you arrive, unless you have a sibling or parent who went here, in which case you can choose whether to be in his or her college. Because the process is for the most part random, the colleges represent a cross-section of the entire student body. You are a member of your college for four years, and you may find that allegiance to Yale after graduation centers around your residential college first and foremost. Although you may transfer to another after your first year, this option may be limited by the availability of any extra housing.

The master and dean of each college are faculty members who often put academic careers on the back burner in order to concentrate on sustaining the life of their residential colleges. They're always--well, usually--available to answer questions or just to talk. The master generally oversees the college; he or she is responsible for administrative tasks such as distributing funds for college improvements and parties, and for holding Master's Teas with famous poets, artists, and politicians as guests. Masters often invite students to their home for study breaks, especially during reading and exam periods.

The dean provides academic advice and support, signs schedules, oversees the housing process, and makes sure that you fulfill your distributional requirements. You'll appreciate your dean during the week you have three tests, two papers, and a nasty case of the flu. Deans listen to you complain and can give you excuses which override any deadlines.

Most colleges are equipped with a common room, squash courts (sometimes turned into makeshift basketball courts), a weight room, computer room, darkroom, TV room, snack shop (known as a "buttery"), printing press, game room, student kitchen, and music practice room. Each college also has a library that never closes--perfect if you have erratic study habits or loud roommates.

At the heart of every college is its dining hall. It is a social site for the approximately 400 students in the college (except during a rare spell of good weather, in which case many people hang out in the courtyard). Students find that dining halls are great not only for eating, but also for meeting friends, having discussions with professors, and, of course, procrastinating. Freshmen often eat lunch in Commons and dinner in their colleges, but all meals in the colleges are open to frosh.

Each college provides its students with a broad base of social activities: a social committee, a dramat (which sponsors and produces plays), intramural teams, and a college council made up of students elected from within the college. Some colleges also celebrate annual "College Day" events with barbecues and dances, produce their own line of custom T-shirts and sweatshirts, and carry on their own traditions.

Students in Berkeley (BK) are the most centrally located on campus. BK frosh may be surprised to find their residential college split in two, as Cross Campus Lawn (CCL) divides Berkeley's North and South courts. The inconvenience of a split college is diminished by the fabulously-painted Berkeley "tunnel," which connects the two courts underground. Berkeley's basement houses the bottom floor of the library, a "fitness center," a bagel bar with weeknight movies, a large music room with two pianos, a TV room, a game room with pool tables, and a seminar room.

In addition to giving you easy access to the main campus libraries, Berkeley's central location provides a prime place for sunbathing, frisbee, or soccer. The weekend before finals, Berkeley students hold their annual waterfight on Cross Campus Lawn, and during Future Freshmen Days Berkeleyites streak for prefrosh on a daring run from Old Campus to CCL.

During the 1998-99 school year, Berkeley students will be the first Yalies to live in a soon-to-be constructed "swing space" near the gym while their college undergoes renovations.

Branford (BR), the oldest college on campus, contains four courtyards; the Great Courtyard was labeled the most beautiful college courtyard in America by poet Robert Frost.

Branford incorporates Harkness Tower, one of Yale's most prominent landmarks. The carillon bells in the tower ring periodically throughout the day--students all over campus can hear anything from Bach to the Beatles. Branford also lays claim to Harkness Memorial Gate, which is opened only once a year when all Yalies passes through it on their way to the graduation ceremonies on Commencement Day.

The Branford basement boasts the usual staples--TV and VCR rooms, a computer room, an exercise room, a kitchen, a laundry room, and a buttery named Fred's.

Branford College is also known for its social functions. The God Quad provides nighttime festivities while the Golden CAF is a weekend devoted to celebrating uninhibited artistic expression. At football games, Branfordians are known more for the simple style to their cheers such as "Everybody sucks except for Branford!" and "Suck our tower!" The College flag has been the subject of many attempted thefts by rivals in Jonathan Edwards College.

Calhoun College (CC), one of Yale's smallest and wealthiest colleges, underwent $24-million renovation a few years ago, so accomodations, though limited, are modern and more luxurious than average. In addition to the usual college facilities, Calhoun also boasts a cabaret (with some of the best pianos you'll find in a residential college, save Berkeley), a carpentry room, and even a sauna (although it's tough to find anyone who's actually used it).

'Hounies are also fond of their courtyard tire swing and their location. Students have easy access to Sterling and CCL libraries, classroom buildings, and Naples Pizzeria. Calhoun's courtyard closely resembles a quaint European Gothic residence, and its small size helps ensure intimacy among its residents. Each spring Calhoun hosts the 'Hounfest to celebrate the end of classes, with themes such as Reggae and Soul, and a staging of gameshows like "Singled Out."

In Davenport College (DC), you can always find a game of soccer, ultimate frisbee, or volleyball in the two spacious courtyards. Intramurals, or "Davensports," are popular in this high-spirited college. Its architecture is rather schizophrenic--a Gothic facade of pointed arches and stone tracery is juxtaposed with an interior of Georgian red brick buildings and colonnades.

On either side of the Davenport tower is a depiction of a mythical beast, the Yale. One of the Queen's 12 beasts, the Yale is akin to the unicorn but has two horns and two tails instead of only one. D-port has a large, beautiful common room and dining hall, with the only Waterford chandelier on campus. (Rumor has it that a former University president moved the chandelier to his house, but sheepishly moved it back once the alumnus who donated it found out.)

Davenport facilities have been upgraded recently with the addition of a new buttery and the renovation of one of its libraries. Susan Wennemyr will take over this fall as Dean.

The architecture in Morse College (MC) isn't Gothic. It isn't Georgian. It is unlike anything most people have ever seen (much less lived in) before. Morse is one of Yale's two "new" colleges (Ezra Stiles is its sibling), built in the early 1960s under the instruction of famed architect Eero Saarinen, who died while the buildings were under construction. Rooms are spacious, with walk-in closets and built-in desks. Morse used to be all singles, but recent renovations have created walk-through doubles and common rooms.

According to some students, the dining hall is a major asset: "It has big beautiful windows and great workers who give you a lot of food," one Morsel said.

Morse also boasts a new student kitchen and a student lounge with a large screen TV.

It is located just across the street from Payne Whitney Gymnasium, convenient for athletes who have to make early practices.

Morsels have lots of college spirit. Rival colleges shout "Morse is the Co-Op!" at football games, one of those incomprehensibly stupid traditions that persists despite the fact that it is Stiles, not Morse, which is connected to that center of Yale consumerism. For reasons ranging from Morse's newly-installed recording studio to the famous Morsel grilled-cheese sandwiches and Reese's peanut butter-chocolate shakes, students love living in Morse.

Ezra Stiles (ES), like Morse, is an eyesore to some and art to others. It has also undergone the same interior renovations as Morse as well. Stilesians have their own brand of enthusiasm--their college mascot is the A. Bartlett Giamatti Memorial Moose. Donated by Giamatti, a former master of Stiles, the stuffed moose head presides majestically over the dining hall. Stilesians have learned to love living in one of the "ugly" colleges. Their simple, proud motto: "It's the people, not the architecture, that counts." Stilesians are noted for their great camaraderie.

Stilesians are also proud of their athletic prowess. They have won the coveted Tyng Cup, awarded for intramural excellence, six of the last ten years. Stiles and Morse co-host a "Casino Night," which is always crowded, smoke-filled, and lots of fun. Every spring, Stiles sponsors an Arts Week that features student performances and exhibits and draws professional artists to the college. Each month, the college holds "Musical Stiles," an opportunity for anyone to perform anything. The colleges's basement holds the Stiles Little Theater, which hosts improvisational comedy groups and other dramatic shows throughout the year.

One of the smallest and closest-knit colleges, Jonathan Edwards (JE) has gained a reputation for being strongly affiliated with the musical arts; its two grand pianos, including one in a sound-proof room, are constantly in use, and musicians practice in the seminar rooms.

JE residents enjoy making fun of themselves. "JE Sux!" can be heard from their section at all football games and other spirited affairs. The beautiful college is also rich in tradition. Several times a year, freshmen greet the rest of Old Campus with a loud, musical ritual known as "COMA" (Coalition of Midnight Assholes), and the day after Easter is Wet Monday for JE residents--beware of the midnight charge of semi-automatic water weapons. A policeman found himself in the middle of the fray two years ago and received a cool late-night shower. Gary Haller, professor of chemistry and engineering, will replace the retiring master, Bernard Lytton.

Pierson College (PC), located next to Davenport and accessible from York Street by a walkway, has beautiful Georgian architecture and a picturesque clock tower capped with a gold dome. Among the more eclectic activities in which Pierson students participate are the Tuesday Night Club, which hosts parties every Tuesday night; Jell-O wrestling; Nude Nite at the Butt; and the Pierson Inferno, a Halloween costume party which truly raises hellfire.

Although Piersonites really know how to get down and party, their consistently low standings in the competition for the Gimbel Cup (the prize given to the college with the highest collective grade point average) has earned them the reputation of being somewhat, well, special. Their football cheer goes, "P is for the P in Pierson College, I is for the I in Pierson College, E is for the E...."

Saybrook College (SY) has two courtyards: one grass and one stone. Students enjoy visitng the basketball court in the stone courtyard. Saybrook also holds the semi-annual Saybrook Courtyard Party. The college is separated from Branford by a locked gate; four years ago, a group of Saybrugians, tired and bored with their senior essays, began a "Take Back the Courtyard" campaign in an attempt to gain access to the beautiful Branford courtyard.

No reference to Saybrook would be complete without mentioning the Saybrook Strip, performed at the end of the third quarter of home football games. The Yale Precision Marching Band used to accompany them with "The Stripper"--it abandoned the tradition, but dedicated Saybrugians have attempted to reinstate it. The Saybrook Dramat has recently been revived and holds several plays and poetry readings throughout the year. After classes end in the spring, Saybrook holds the Saye and Sele Days, which include events such as T-shirt dyeing, a barbecue, and another courtyard party.

Silliman College (SM) is huge. Silliman has the largest, most panoramic courtyard on campus, where Sillimanders love to play stickball--hit the master's house and you've earned a home run. Each year, Silliman hosts the Safety Dance, a return to the '80s that is so popular it is held in Commons. The college also holds the biggest residential college dining hall, a beautiful Georgian hall with wood paneling, columns, and chandeliers.

Despite the size of the college, Sillifolk have a strong community spirit. Because students live in the college all four years, freshmen get a head start on bonding with upperclassmen, contributing to a more cohesive college atmosphere. The Sillifrosh experience begins the second week of the year with the Frosh Olympics, a contest between entryways with events ranging from pickle eating to a scavenger hunt. After the first snowfall, Sillifrosh storm across Temple Street for the traditional SM/TD snowball fight.

Facilities in the college include a dark room, aerobics rooms, a renovated buttery, and a movie theater known as Silliflicks. The latest addition is The Sillidome, a newly resurfaced basketball court often invaded by envious TDers. Sillimanders enjoy their proximity to Naples,classrooms, Science Hill, and Commons, as well as to the shops and restaurants on Whitney Avenue not usually frequented by students from other colleges.

The small, beautiful courtyard of Timothy Dwight (TD) makes the college friendly and intimate. Because TD freshmen live in the college, upperclassmen are always eager to meet them. This unity creates a fierce and unrivaled sense of college pride. Despite having the fewest students of any college, TD consistently excels at intramurals, and their section at football games is always one of the loudest.

TD hosts raucous courtyard parties, courtesy of the legendary "Master T," who brings in funky bands from New York. When TD won the Tyng Cup for intramurals three years ago, Master T invited Talking Heads lead singer David Byrne to celebrate with the students. TD is also known for its wild "Exotic Erotic," a dance where "the more risqué, the less you pay."

Trumbull (TC) claims to have the best food of any of the residential colleges. Three small courtyards give the college a cozy feel. Potty Court is named for its stunning statue of a gargoyle on a toilet. At the end of each year, the graduating class paints the gargoyle. (During one coating he was liberated of his gender.)

The 'Bull has a weight room with all the trimmings of an up-to-date exercise facility. Trumbullians have access to the now world-famous Pottery Room, as well as a darkroom, a music room, and a quaint tire swing in Main Court. Their renovated buttery has a diner atmosphere boasting amazing breakfast food.

Trumbull also houses Nicholas Chapel, a theater which hosts student productions. Trumbull is close to the library, bordering Toad's Place and Yorkside Pizza.

Dr. Janet Heinrich, professor of applied science and physics, will take over next year as the only current female master.

Contributors: Josh Benton, Jason DeViva, Abbe Gluck, Rosa M. Gonzalez, Eric Holloway, Erik Lien, Sue Martin, Jay Munir, Lindsey Pollak, Betsy Reynolds, Dave Rubin, Ryan E. Smith, Tom Treynor, and Soraya Victory.

Icons courtesy of Yale Printing Service.

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