One University, 12 colleges: Yale's distinct residential traditions add flair to school life

CARL BIALIK/YH Jonathan Edwards Master Gary Haller (l.) and Pierson Master Harvey Goldblatt, GRD '77, Jell-O wrestle for college pride.

Of course, there are standard social events, like screw-your-roommate dances, semi-formal balls, Naples nights, theme dinners, and springtime cookouts. Every college has 'em, but each with its own sassy style, distinctive atmosphere, and special flavor. Above and beyond these general amusements, each college also has its own unique diversions. Below, 12 Yalies wax nostalgic about their homes—soon to be your own.

Berkeley

Berkeley is Yale's only residential college divided into two parts. You'd think that would give Berkeley somewhat of a split personality, but as Berkeleyites like to say "two courtyards are better than one." The friendly rivalry between North Court and South Court only really flares up when it snows and the two sides meet in opposition on Cross Campus for midnight battles. Plus Berkeley's unique position flanking Cross Campus makes it the most centrally located of all the colleges, and that's no small blessing.

In the past few years, the name Berkeley has been synonymous with change. When Yale embarked upon a program of massive renovation of its residential colleges three years ago, Berkeley was the first college to get spiffed up (to the tune of $35 million). The result—air conditioning in all the common spaces and the brightest, most spacious dorm rooms on campus. Really. But that's not all. Next fall, for the first time in 11 years, Berkeley will have a new Master and a new Dean. Master John Rogers and Dean George Levesque are young, energetic, and eager to revive forgotten Berkeley traditions, like long-range water balloon fights between the two courts.

These days, Berkeley has two major claims to fame. The first is its dining hall. Next to Commons, Berkeley has always housed Yale's largest undergraduate dining facility, but post-renovation, Berkeley's new high-tech kitchen also boasts some of the best quality food options on campus. The second is its cheering section at home football games.

FILE PHOTO In a now-dormant tradition, Berkeleyites once stripped down to their birthday suits in a streak across Old Campus during pre-frosh days.

While the BK mascot, the Thunder-Chicken, has not made an official appearance since the fall of '98, Berkeleyites eagerly get into the spirit with a raucous "Chicken Cheer" at every touchdown during Yale football games. Other colleges respond with taunts of "Berkeley's on crack!" but this, of course, serves only to make the crazy BK kids prouder (and sometimes even crazier). —Meghan Casey

Branford

Looking back on my past three years in Branford College (and ahead at my last), I cannot help but feel a flood of warm and fuzzy memories.

It is important and difficult to convey in these few words why our residential college, much like the Harkness Tower that we call our own, looks down upon the rest of Yale. I need not remind you that the great poet Robert Frost called our Great Courtyard the most beautiful courtyard in the country. Yet now, with the recent year-long renovations of the dorm rooms, the common areas, the dining hall, the basement, and essentially everything else, an even more daunting figure in the long history of Yale can rest that much easier: me.

I can impart on to you no sense of ownership of Branford College, the oldest of Yale's residential colleges, but only assure you that this place—these courtyards, these gargoyles, these Gothic stones—will make your college years that much brighter. I know that when I am a much older man, with a bigger gut and a faster car, I will hear "BFA" (Branford F**in' A) in my sleep and see squirrels in my dreams. I will remember chugging applesauce and popping balloons at Branford Independence Day, I will cherish drinking old beer on Friday afternoons at RALF. I will never forget squirming through the crowds at God Quad parties and procrastinating with a burger and fries at the Buttery.

And what about the swing in the Great Courtyard, or the trips to the opera? Talking to Julia in the dining hall and throwing frisbees with friends outside? The Letterman trips, the IM teams, the assassins games, the High Street gate that you can't walk through until graduation...and there's much more. Congratulations are fully in order—I welcome you to a college, a culture, and an unbelievable four years. Check the coat at the door: the club is now open. —Christopher Lee

Calhoun

Calhoun is the sexy college located on the corner of College and Elm Streets, in the heart of Yale's campus. Calhoun has just about everything a young undergraduate could ask for: a sauna, pool tables, TV room, Buttery, digital studio, and of course, lots and lots of parties. 'Hounies have their annual 'Hounfest, an all-day celebration held near the end of the spring term. Last year's theme was Mardi Gras, complete with lots of lights, authentic beads, and Pat O'Brien's Hurricanes. In fact, if you look through the trees you might still see some beads there.

Calhoun comes equipped with a party suite, "Bookworld," which is a two-floor suite with lots of floor space. Don't let the name deceive you: Bookworld is not a place for study. Almost every month, the inhabitants of Bookworld throw a party, and just about everyone at Yale tries to squeeze in. Bookworld is close to the patio that 'Hounies affectionately call The Castle, a popular after-party hangout. The Castle overlooks the beautiful Calhoun courtyard and provides people place to bathe in the sun during those warm September days.

Every fall Calhoun throws a Trolley Party, a tradition inaugurated when Master William Sledge became college Master in 1995. It commemorates the days when the loud trolley system used to run down Elm Street past Calhoun, disrupting student life in the college. Today, we have parties to do that. —Clairborne Childs

Davenport

If you're looking for spirit, Davenport has it in spades. Among other things, D-porters rally 'round the Gnome, a 400-pound wooden sculpture displayed—depending on the threat of theft by D-port rivals Pierson and Branford—either just inside the gate to York Street or in various more secure locations. The college's annual performance of A Child's Christmas in Wales, its oft-used printing press, and the mozzarella sticks cooked up in the Dive (D-port's buttery) inspire further devotion.

Come spring, John Davenport Day celebrates the man behind the myth with burgers, Yale bands, and outdoor entertainment galore. The fact that JD himself was a somber, stodgy Puritan preacher doesn't stop D-porters from throwing down. If it's sunny outside and you're looking for some good, old-fashioned, velcro-sticking, moonbounce-jumping fun, this raucous event's the place to be.

After the dust settles from JD Day, students hunkering down for reading week get together to study in the dining hall. The college's famously friendly dining hall staff provide coffee, tea, and water for D-porters closing out their year with a final burst of studiousness, infusing even work with the college's typical camraderie. —Kitty Harvey

Ezra Stiles

Put yourself in the following situation: it's late in the game, the score is close, and victory hangs in the balance. This was the setting as the architect Eero Saarinen strode to the plate. His task: creating a college—building a winner. How did he fare? Let's just say that Eero definitely hit a home run, and by home run I mean created the finest Tuscan village around.

While on the subject of baseball, Former Master (and Major League Baseball Commissioner) Bart Giamatti, SY '60, GRD '64, known best for his ingenious decision to make the Moose our mascot, helped initiate a tradition of stand-out athletics. In fact, Payne-Whitney Gymnasium was actually built at its present location in order to be next to little Tuscany.

Speaking of athletics, February's Arts Festival makes Stiles a true Renaissance College. We're athletic, we're creative, we're very good looking, and we're always having fun.

Let's talk about fun; after regularly beating TD on the IM fields and thrashing Saybrook in all the creative arts, Stiles throws Yale's biggest party of the year: Casino Night. Imagine Las Vegas without Nevada; glitz without Siegfried and Roy. That's right, Casino Night is a night when, try as they may, all those other colleges just cannot trade in their tainted chips for the gleaming gold of Ezra Stiles.

Amid all this activity, you might get hungry for something more than tainted chips. Fear not, for along with the finest dining hall on campus, our buttery can grill you fresh doughnuts, make you some s'mores, or fry you up some pancakes—all while you're dancing away to the tunes on our very own jukebox.

In short, Ezra Stiles is a truly special place, a special college for special people. Eero came up big in the clutch. Eero brought us home. —Andy Beck

Jonathan Edwards

Freshmen in JE have won the lottery. The winning numbers are 6 and 8 as in "68 High Street" and 432-0380 as in "Basha's phone number."

Allow me to explain. Basha, one of the administrators of this prize, is the assistant to the Master and generous financer of JE student activities. The other administrators of the prize are Master Gary Haller, Dean Christos Cabolis, and Heidi, Teri, and the rest of the JE gang (who we shall heretofore refer to as "Family"). What exactly did you win? Well, aside from some lovely freshman counselors, you win the beautiful, freshly renovated Farnam Hall as your freshman dorm. Sports? You will be a part of some really badass winning intramural teams including our champion field hockey team, our finalist ultimate frisbee team, our Final Four soccer and volleyball teams, not to mention our stunning intramural water polo, basketball, and bowling teams. Wars? Yes, you get to win a war, too! At midnight after Easter, JE is transformed into a water-war battlefield during Wet Monday, which pits the freshmen against the rest of JE in a fight to the drenching.

And you win the Spider Ball—JE's year-end formal event where everyone goes home with a bottle of champagne, if not a hot date. And our color is green. Geniuses pick green. The password for claiming your prize is simple: "JE Sux." The Family will explain the rest later. —Nicole Jabaily

Morse

Traditional is not a word that comes to mind when looking at the buildings of Morse College. Designed in 1961 by the innovative architect Eero Saarinen, Morse is intended to be a college "which would recognize the individual as individual instead of an anonymous integer in a group."

One of the ways in which this individuality is expressed is through the large singles that most sophomores, juniors and seniors inhabit in Morse. The rooms, though lacking in right angles, are quite spacious, and many contain walk-in closets. Some of the most popular rooms are found in "The Tower," a 12-story building that sets Morse apart from Ezra Stiles, its sister college.

Freshman, too, have great living arrangements: the palatial suites of Durfee Hall on Old Campus. Located near the post office and the library, Durfee is right in the middle of campus life. This fact is cemented by the presence of Durfee Sweet Shoppe in the basement. Open until 1:30 a.m. Sunday through Friday, Durfee's is a great place to stop for a late night snack.

Morse freshmen will also be able to find food until the wee hours of the morning at the Morsel. Located in the recently revamped common room, students can play air hockey, foosball, pool, or ping pong, or watch a movie on the wide screen TV while waiting for their munchies.

The Morsel isn't the only special aspect of the college. There is also Ericka's Room, which contains another wide screen television, a kitchen, a darkroom, the CD Café, where many parties are held, and a professional-quality recording studio.

The courtyard of Morse boasts yet another distinguishing characteristic: Claes Oldenburg's "Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks." Known affectionately as the Lipstick, this huge pop art sculpture is adored or abhorred, but it can't be ignored. It has temporarily been relocated to the Yale University Art Gallery courtyard as part of a Tercentennial exhibit.

Although Morse emph-asizes the individual, team spirit is also a huge part of the college. Morsels have dominated intramural competitions in the past few years, winning the Tyng Cup in 2000.

Morse brings most of the campus together during its annual party with Stiles, Casino Night. This highly touted event, named one of Rolling Stone's top 10 college parties, combines gambling and swing dancing in a memorable formal event.

The Class of 2005 will be the first to experience all four years with the new Master, Frank Kiel. Master Kiel, his wife, Professor Kristi Lockhart, and their family will move into Morse this summer. Freshmen will be able to get to know their Master in the dining hall, which features "PanGeos," a station where chefs prepare fresh dishes as students watch. It's just another feature which sets Morse apart from the crowd. —Kaitlyn Gumpper

Pierson

Pierson College features beautiful Georgian architecture and a convenient location near anything you need. Broadway and Chapel Streets each offer restaurants to hold the attention of any culinary persuasion, and Old Campus is only a block away.

When midweek blues begin to settle in, one can always head to Pierson, home of TNC (Tuesday Night Club), the famous weekly lower-courtyard gathering that boasts an enticing excuse to take a break from work and mingle with Piersonites from all classes.

These smaller soirées echo the power of the Halloween pageantry of the Pierson Inferno. This perennial favorite allows Yalies to demonstrate their creativity with outrageous costumes, in which trick-or-treaters can groove well into the night.

Once classes end, the courtyard turns festive for Pierson Day with a cookout, music, and inter-class athletic competitions. The highlight is the Jell-O wrestling contest, where even Master Harvey Goldblatt, GRD '77, has been known to frequently join in the frenzy. —Michael Robertson

Saybrook

For many years, at the end of the third quarter of every home football game, the Yale Precision Marching Band used to play "The Stripper" to accompany the Saybrugians' traditional Saybrook Strip. Even though the band is now forbidden from continuing the tradition, come wind, rain, or hail, dedicated students still shed clothing for their college; a few seniors even take it all off for the Yale-Harvard game. Saybrook brings a similar esprit de corps to the intramural fields, and the college regularly places highly in the intramural standings. This year Saybrook beat out Davenport to take home the Tyng Cup.

Saye and Sele Day, Saybrook's own springtime carnival, bubbles with craziness. With an outdoor picnic, Jell-O wrestling, and more, Saybrook's two courtyards spring to life. A nighttime dance in the stone courtyard caps off the festivities.

Recently, Saybrook has been earning a reputation for its Master's teas. The Gordon Grand Fellowship, which sponsors business leaders' visits to Yale, helped Saybrook net NFL president Paul Tagliabue and Hershey CEO Ken Wolfe. —Lauren Anderson

Silliman

COURTESY YALE BANNER TD's annual Exotic Erotic dance brings out the kinky side in everyone.

To welcome frosh into Silliman's close-knit community, the college holds its own "Frosh Olympics" during the first week of school. Sillifrosh get a chance to show their skills in pseudo-athletic events ranging from the water balloon toss to the popular relay race. In addition, Silliman Dean Hugh Flick welcomes freshmen in style, wearing only a Greek toga.

Then there's Silliman's annual Safety Dance. This wild night of '80s music is one of the only times you can wear blue eye shadow, a denim mini-skirt, a hot pink tank top, and leg warmers without totally forfeiting your social standing. The Safety Dance is traditionally extremely popular, easily filling Commons dining hall with Madonna lovers.

The spring season provides more celebration. For example, a few years back, Rich Marshall, SM '96, decided he wanted to have a courtyard party. The result? "Richfest" is an annual carnival during reading week, complete with a moon bounce, music, and sno-cones. Old Campus? Act like Public Enemy, kid, and don't believe the hype. —Andrew Towne

Timothy Dwight

"Ring the bell, Ring the bell, g****** f*** h***" Timothy Dwight's notorious cheer is not something you repeat for the parents. But it is the rallying cry of Yale's most tightly-knit residential college. And gathered around our cowbell, flag, and feisty Master, TDers are unstoppable.

While some people complain about the long walk to TD, everyone makes it at least once every September for the annual Exotic Erotic. The biggest residential college party of the year is always worthy of its name. The dress code follows from the party's moniker, with all of Yale joining in an unbashed flesh-bearing exercise worthy of Zeus himself.

TD love continues all year round. Freshmen are welcomed into the college every fall with a trip to the mysterious "Llamaland" for a day of bonding with a few upperclassmen. With this and other special treats, TD frosh have a great experience outside of Old Campus. Some of the best times in TD are spent at the countless study breaks, dances, and movie nights.

Munching s'mores outside in the winter, partying with Brazilian dancers at Master T's house, and celebrating the end-of-year TD Day enhance an already unique college experience. TDers can always be found playing pickup games of soccer and frisbee in the courtyard, and their signature red shirts can often be seen dominating the intramural fields.

TD residents will be moved to the Swing Space for 2001-'02 while the actual college is renovated, and the TD spirit is sure to infect its new corner of campus. —Hannah Bowen

Trumbull

Trumbull College is conveniently located at the corner of Elm and York Streets, a short walk from Old Campus, Cross Campus, and the stores on Broadway. Trumbull is one of Yale's smallest colleges, and its 400 students are extremely close-knit and dedicated to Trumbull.

Physically, Trumbull College is built around three courtyards. The central main court is a popular gathering place for outdoor study sessions and impromptu soccer games. Stone Court is a small, quiet space nestled against the Master's house, while Potty Court (named after a distinctive gargoyle seated on a toilet) is the site of many sophomore parties throughout the year. The annual Rumble in Trumbull is a popular social event in which students bet (with fake money) on pillow fight matches between other Trumbullians. The evening ends with a climactic battle between the Dean and the Master, followed by a (fake money) auction for a variety of prizes. In the spring, Pamplona offers Trumbull students a welcome chance to gather outside for a heated kickball competition and BBQ in the main court. While Trumbull invariably sits at the bottom of the intramural sports rankings, the time is ripe for an athletic freshman class to revive our status at Yale—so pump that iron this summer! —Tom Hooven

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