Make yourself at home: frosh housing

Durfee, Bingham, Lawrance, Welch...here's everything you need to know about freshman dorms.

JULIA TIERNAN/YH

By Ayon Nandi

One of the first things every incoming freshman wonders is: Where will I live? Will I get the smallest room on campus? Or a room with a view? Whether on Old Campus or in Silliman or Timothy Dwight, you're sure to get a decent, liveable room. Here's the rundown on Yale housing for freshmen, starting with Old Campus.

Vanderbilt Hall, the large U-shaped dorm on the Chapel Street side of Old Campus, will house Calhoun and Davenport freshmen. Most Vanderbilt suites are three-room quads that consist of two bedrooms and a common room. Bathrooms are usually communal, shared with the other residents of each single-sex floor. Though the bedrooms are narrow and have bunked beds, the large common rooms, complete with fireplaces and window seats, make up for the loss. The window seats, which can turn into three-seat sofas with a few pillow cushions, overlook the Vanderbilt courtyard, a popular place for socializing.

Right next to Vanderbilt is Bingham Hall, located on the corner of College and Chapel streets, which will house Trumbull and Berkeley freshmen. Though Bingham is one of the oldest buildings on Old Campus, recent renovations, including hardwood floors, improved bathrooms, and an elevator for entryway C's nine floors, have transformed the once cramped quarters into spacious suites. Bingham rooms are either three-room quads or a combination of singles and doubles for up to six people. Most rooms boast large common rooms and bedrooms, and in the basement is Old Campus's best laundry facility, and the brand-new Freshman Lounge. An achievement of the 1997-'98 Freshman Class Council, the lounge provides freshmen with a place to socialize, play games, and watch TV.

Next in line is Welch Hall, which will house Branford freshmen. The windows and exterior of Welch were renovated this past year, improving insulation and the building's facade. Rooms in Welch hold up to six people, with spacious bedrooms, large common rooms, and private bathrooms. (Though having an in-suite bathroom means you have to clean it yourself, most frosh find that the added convenience more than makes up for cleaning duty.) Very few Welch bedrooms have bunkbeds, and many rooms have built-in shelves or overhead storage bins. Fire doors allow access to adjacent entryways. In addition, the higher floors span two levels, giving them a penthouse feel.

Lawrance Hall will house frosh from Ezra Stiles college. Suites in Lawrance house up to six frosh and boast large common rooms, many singles, and spacious doubles which permit un-bunked beds. Each suite has three or four singles and one or two doubles, as well as a private bathroom within the suite. Fire doors allow access to adjacent rooms and the basement laundry in Farnam.

Farnam Hall will house Jonathan Edwards frosh. Farnam is similar to Lawrance, with big common rooms and private bathrooms. The laundry located in the basement of Farnam provides easy access for JE frosh. Windows look out onto Old Campus or the New Haven Green.

Durfee Hall, on the Elm street side of Old Campus, will house freshman in Morse. The majority of Durfee's rooms house six frosh and have spacious bedrooms with built-in shelves and overhead storage bins. Not only are the beds un-bunked, but there's lots of walking space in between them. The common rooms are large, with fireplaces and big windows looking out onto Old Campus. As an added benefit, Durfee houses the Durfee Sweet Shop right downstairs. Durfee's is the source for late night sandwiches, frozen yogurt, coffee, snacks and other goodies--and everything is Bursar-billable.

Finally, Lanman-Wright Hall will house Saybrook and Pierson frosh. Though Wright Hall has the smallest two-bedroom quads on Old Campus, its courtyard is a favorite hangout area, with large trees and comfortable benches. Because Lanman-Wright is directly above the post office, this area of Old Campus is always busy, with barkers advertising shows, students rushing to check their post-office boxes between classes, and plenty of people relaxing in the courtyard.

But what if your room assignment doesn't say Old Campus? Incoming frosh in Silliman and Timothy Dwight colleges shouldn't feel left out. Living in your college freshman year helps you meet upperclassmen more easily, and the almost all-frosh entryways ensure quality bonding time with other '02ers. Silliman and TD freshman counselors have fewer counselees, and both colleges organize special events just for freshmen.

Freshmen in Silliman live in five entryways. These entryways are filled almost entirely with freshmen. Entryways E and F, known as "The Tower," have window seats, fireplaces, and access to the laundry in the basement of E. Rooms in J, K, and L--across from the Tower and in the brick area of the college--are a bit smaller but have built-in shelves. Also, these entryways are connected to the Silliman basement, with its laundry, TV room, and computer lab.

Timothy Dwight freshmen live in quads within TD's four frosh entryways. Each floor has two or three quads, a freshman counselor, and a few seniors, which fosters bonding between freshmen and the upperclassmen in their college. Fire doors connect to other entryways.

Don't forget that where you live means more than just your bedroom or common room. Beyond your room inside the building, the grassy courtyard outside provides a place to play frisbee, sunbathe, meet people, or catch up on reading. Whenever your room seems too confined or your roommate too annoying, you can always head outside.

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