Language, Senior Houses Swap Locations

Author: Chesley Thurber

As a result of a proposal passed by the Community Council earlier this year concerning academic interest housing, the Italian, Russian and German houses will all be relocating next fall. The plan is designed to give the three language departments houses they can fill consistently and to further integrate them into the College community. While the language departments are pleased with the new plan, many students are likely to be angered by the loss of desirable senior housing.

The Italian, Russian and German houses will be occupying three of the current senior houses located just west of Proctor Hall, close to the Spanish House. The Italian House will move from Sperry House to Longwell House, the Russian House from 278 College St. to 70 Hillcrest and the German House from Turner House to 99 Adirondack. The programs hope to attract more students through better location, larger houses and a greater option of single room accommodations.

The location of language housing has proven to be critical to its success. "We recognize that while students may truly want to 'live in the language,' they are also understandably concerned with where they live," said Professor of French Nancy O'Connor, who helped write the proposal making these moves possible.

The central locations are designed not only to attract more students, but also to allow the houses to gain greater prominence in the overall campus community. Four language houses will now be in close proximity to each other allowing greater interaction between them. It will also place them closer to department offices at Hillcrest.

"We hope that the new location will help to support our mission and attract students, staff and faculty from all venues of this campus," commented Bettina Matthias, professor of German and German House advisor.

The new houses' room configurations were also key factors in the decision-making process. The Russian House, which previously accommodated three students, will now be able to expand to satisfy its high popularity. "[The Russian House] is so small, that if we plan a Russian dinner, [students] have to sit on the floor sometimes," commented Professor of Russian and Russian House Advisor Tatiana Smorodinskaya.

The new Italian House will be comprised of six singles. "We want to have sophomores, and we want to have seniors," said Professor of Italian and Italian House Advisor David Castronuovo. Without any double rooms, he added, "it's going to be much easier to have that balance."

Unfortunately, many of the features that make Longwell, 70 Hillcrest and 99 Adirondack so appealing to the language house program also make them attractive senior housing. In recent years, these three houses have been among the most sought after by rising seniors during block draw. The sensitive issue of the role of seniority in room draw has already sparked intense debate with the planned implementation of new commons-based regulations. Student Association Government (SGA) Junior Senator Matthew Kiefer '03 commented, "Senior housing is already a touchy issue, and many students feel that it is inadequate."

Despite the loss of these houses, several new alternative housing options will open up for seniors next year. "We should remember that there is going to be an increase in senior housing next year with the opening of the Ross Commons apartments," noted SGA Senator Simon Isaacs '03.

Mariah McKechnie '01, residential systems coordinator, echoed similar sentiments, reminding students that the houses now opened up for senior block draw by the language houses' departures also offer highly appealing options for seniors. "Some people may not necessarily think it is a fair trade, but it's not bad," McKechnie said. "The administration has made a commitment to academic interest houses and finding the best possible housing is part of that commitment," she continued.

The moves of the three language houses were made possible by a proposal written by Associate Provost Tim Spears and McKechnie and then amended by O'Connor and Professor of Italian Patricia Zupan.

The proposal was written as a solution to conflicts that have arisen in the past between the language houses and the Commons Administration Office when a language house was unable to fill its beds and the Commons Administration Office was forced to place a student in the house who was not proficient in the language.

The proposed solution involves a bi-annual evaluation process designed to match language houses with housing that matches their needs. The language houses will be assessed to determine if each house's location satisfies its demand. The new flexibility will allow houses to change locations based on their ability to fill their rooms.

The language houses still hope to be able to maintain a consistent location, O'Connor said. "Language houses should be known not just as abstract concepts, but as identifiable and continuing locations on campus," she commented.

The Italian House hopes to have found such a location in Longwell. "This seems about right for us," Castronuovo said. "This seems like something we can maintain."