To the Editor:
In the "Folly of First-Year Dorms" (April 28) Nina McAdoo '94 argues against the creation of Freshman housing. I spent the first year of college at the College of William and Mary living in Barrett Hall -- a freshman female residence hall. The doors of Barrett First West were always open. Freshman women watched out for other freshman women when they visited the Greek Houses across campus. In fact, we wouldn't go to bed until we knew all the women on our hall were home safely.
After transferring to Dartmouth my sophomore year, I essentially was a freshman again. I didn't know anyone and the UGA system didn't accommodate my needs. My first months at Dartmouth were spent in depression as the doors of my hall slammed shut and the residents were vaguely identified by the colors of their bathrobes hanging from the shower walls.
I missed the feeling of community that I experienced in a freshman dorm. As freshmen we took responsibility and planned our own study breaks, movie nights, birthday parties, football parties and the annual Barrett Cotillion.
Perhaps the residence halls could do a better job of making upperclassmen feel welcome. I know that some of us would have loved to have been involved in UGA activities just so that we could meet the freshmen. There should be more community in the residence halls.
I am thankful, however, that Dartmouth allows upperclassmen to pull-in friends into their clusters. Without this, I believe that my experience in the Dartmouth residence halls this year would have been very lonely.
LINDA ALBERS '95
