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Why you should know about UMass Housing stereotypes, but not swear by them

There are clear advantages and disadvantages of certain residential areas, such as dining options and dorm quality, and pre-existing generalizations of the people who live there.  However, living on campus is a singular and personal experience.  I decided to gather honest opinions about UMass residential life from a few friends, interviewing them about their experiences.  I asked these three questions:

1) Was this residential area your first choice? Why? If not, what other area did you choose first and why?

2) Was your living experience what you expected it to be when first choosing housing?

3) Do you think that the residence areas are over-stereotyped? How true do the stereotypes hold?

(I also included some candid photos, taken by me over the course of the semester, of them in their residence locations, because why not?)

Kristen: Orchard Hill

Orchard Hill was my first choice mostly because it's located in a such a beautiful area. But I also chose it because I really want to focus on my academics during the week and I felt that the somewhat secluded nature of the dorms in OHill would accommodate that.

Orchard Hill met a lot of my expectations! As expected, it's an extremely friendly environment that's home to both introverts and extroverts. There are always lots of events going on during the week and on the weekend so there's never an excuse to be bored around here!

I absolutely think that the residential areas are over-stereotyped. People think that all the "fun, outgoing" people live in southwest, which is true for many people but not all of them! My friend who lives in southwest sometimes complains that her southwest friends are a bit rude and unfriendly. Many people believe that Orchard Hill people are geeky and only care about school, which is true for some but not all! It's home to so many smart, talented, and interesting people. There are definitely exceptions but I feel like you can usually find your niche wherever you live.

Anna: Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community

Yes, it was my first choice.  I mean, I was accepted into the honors program, so I figured I might as well take advantage of the new buildings and air conditioning.

I didn’t really hear stereotypes about honors, but I think that’s because the area is so new.  I guess the only stereotype was that only “nerdy honors kids” live here, which held true in some aspects but in others not true at all.  There’s lots of different types of people here.

I don’t think that the areas are over-stereotyped, honestly.  I go for runs past Northeast all the time, and the stereotype there is “Asians and engineers,” and I see a lot of those people in that area.  The same goes for Southwest: I’ve been there on weekends, and it’s pretty similar to what people describe: parties everywhere, and people up and out-and-about past 2:00 am on the weekends.  From visiting Orchard Hill and meeting people from there, they seem like chill people.  Based upon my own experiences, the stereotypes seem pretty valid. 

My Advice for Those Choosing Housing

Trust your gut, but don’t rely on it completely. When choosing to live in an Honors RAP, I had a vague feeling that I was making a mistake, but living in CHCRC ended up working out for me. Keep the aforementioned stereotypes in mind, but seek out information on your own.  And most importantly, listen to, but do not take other people’s experiences personally.  You do not have to fit a certain mold. 

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Great to hear you tell it like it is! People should not be labeling something that they have no knowledge of or experience with as “unfair,” but I guess there will always be that one kid who feels the need to stick his nose into everything (*cough* Nick Pappas *cough*). While I cannot personally understand this topic, as I have not experienced it, I love the voice you use to present your opinions.  The cartoon is very thought-provoking as well. 

Time and time again, the pressure is on in universities and colleges to increase diversity (rightfully so), and time and time again, programs like Affirmative Action and more specifically UMass’s Diversity Strategic Plan gets bashed on by white folks who are upset that “it’s just not...

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UMass Residence Areas and Dining Halls: A Symbiotic Relationship

Today’s post is going to get scientific (sort of....not really).      

Here we have UMass Dining’s crowning jewel, the newly-renovated, sustainable, and overall exemplary Hampshire Dining Commons:

And here we have the award winning and recently updated Berkshire Dining Commons:

And then there’s Frank:

And here we have Worcester:

Besides the rare UMass student who is an ardent aficionado of either Frank or Worcester, most would agree that Hamp and Berk are the best the school has to offer.  

So, what impact does this have on housing?

Many students are already drawn to Southwest because of the perpetrated “Zoomass” stereotype, while many honors students choose to live in the newly-constructed Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community.  Both of the living areas are close to Hamp and Berk (for a Southwest resident, the walk is only a few minutes; for a CHCRC resident, it can take up to ten minutes, but such a compromise can be made for brand new dorms.

This gives other living areas a clear disadvantage: while renovating dining halls is most certainly a worthwhile investment, it seems that Southwest has the advantage for acquiring these renovations because of its population, while other areas (i.e. the combination of Northeast, Central, and Orchard Hill, and their two dining halls) are left on the back-burner.  This article notes that Worcester will be renovated “eventually,” but when is eventually?  In an informational post about commencement, Berk is described as “stunning” and “award-winning,” while Worcester is described in a manner that implies, “Well, this is your only other option.”

There are many great attributes to each of the residential areas, respectively, but the difference in dining options creates a clear divide, making one wonder what would change if any of the dining commons swapped locations.

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“Stay away from Southwest, it’s crazy!” -lots of adults who heard about Blarney Blowout in the news last March

Ah, Southwest, the true heart of “Zoomass.”  Even before considering attending UMass, I already knew one thing for sure: no matter what, I was not going to live in Southwest.  Looking back, I am not sure why I was so dead-set on this decision, as I didn’t know a thing about the area besides that it was, apparently, absolutely rowdy (and not just at night; twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week).  I am a fun-loving person, but I also love to curl up with a good book every now and then; therefore, I was told by many people that I would not enjoy living there, and I wholeheartedly believed them.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret my decision at all--I love living in the “nerd forest.” However, I wish I wasn’t so quick to judge.  Now that I attend UMass, I realize that at a school with 22,000 undergraduates, the largest living area on campus (housing around 5,000 students) is bound to hold this reputation.  

And, when I tell adults that I go to UMass and they reply, “Oh, that’s a fun school,” I stand there holding in my frustration like:

I WOULD BRAG ABOUT MY ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IF I DIDN’T FEEL DISGUSTINGLY ARROGANT DOING SO.

Anyway.  

This year, UMass made headlines for rioting peacefully.  Huh, who would’ve thunk it.     

Meanwhile, I (and I am sure I was not alone in my feelings), after hearing all about the foretold event, was like,

It is important to keep in mind that schools like Northeastern University have also had problems with rioting in the past--such is expected from large universities.  UMass Amherst, with an average undergraduate GPA of 3.73, is clearly more than just a “party school.”  If you walk past “Southwest beach” on a sunny day, there will be students playing Frisbee, students laying out in the sun, and students studying and working hard.  Don’t let the Southwest stereotype hold you back:  if you think you would love living there, that’s awesome.  If you think you would absolutely despise it, that is equally awesome. 

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I’m so glad that somebody is finally speaking up about this!  While I am completely against smoking cigarettes, I accept that many people have this habit and are not going to quit it because of a small-scale policy; however, the lack of courtesy is frustrating.  On such a huge campus, it shouldn’t be so hard to smoke somewhere other than the entrance to a residence hall!  Since making UMass a tobacco free campus clearly has not solved any problems or caused much reduction in smoking habits, I think it would be a good idea to implement designated smoking areas instead.  I’m not sure if anyone else has taken this idea into consideration or is currently working on it, but it’s something to think about.  

Incommmingggggggg RANNNNNNNTTT

Hey everybody! So there is a frequent problem that aggravates me and I know many share my frustration.  There are several individuals in Sycamore Hall that think it is acceptable to smoke right by the door of the residence hall.  IT IS NOT OK.  Your putrid fumes ooze into our beautiful building and force us to endure the smell for hours after you decide to finally stamp out your cancer sticks.  BE CONSIDERATE.  It is not my place to tell you to stop blackening your lungs.  IT IS MY PLACE to ask that you take your pollution away from my place of living.  It is no longer frigid outside.  Walk a football field away and allow your peers to have some fresh air!  Oh, and see above for some statistics on smoking-related deaths.  I encourage those guilty to think long and hard when they read the above graph. This is not math class.  This is real life. Your guilty pleasure is killing you and others around you.  

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Residential life at UMass is highly stereotyped, and with a population of 22,000 undergraduates, many of them living on campus, it's no wonder—the campus is extremely spread out, causing a great separation between all of the residence locations.  The split between the living areas has caused the growth of stereotypes about them: this student-made video pokes fun at these labels, and can also be considered advice for incoming students in choosing their housing.   The community described here seems to be extremely diverse—first we travel to Orchard Hill, which a friendly, welcoming place where “everyone’s door is always open.”  The downside is that the area, while scenic, is a “hike” (but also a great calf workout).  Next, our hosts visit Central, “O. Hill’s hippy sister,” where there are “towels on doors” and “fans in every window” making a generalized statement that everyone who lives in Central is a stoner.  The next bit where Sylvan is described is comical, and innocuous for the most part, as living in the woodsy, secluded area isn’t most students’ first choice.  But Northeast, following Sylvan, is called a place where “the crowds are…pretty diverse, if you’re from Asia or the Middle East.”  This typecast could certainly be deemed offensive and lead viewers unfamiliar with the campus astray; however, the depiction of Northeast as a quieter area where many math and engineering majors live is quite accurate.  Finally, the two stars of the video present their favorite residential area in a hilarious rap break that portrays Southwest in a way that those who have heard UMass Amherst referred to as “ZooMass”—as well as many people who attend UMass—would describe it.  Left out is the Commonwealth Honors College Residential Area, which is a bit harder to typecast, as the buildings are relatively new.  Made up of five buildings named after trees, it is affectionately called the “Nerd Forest” by some, but is mostly just regarded as “those new buildings where the honors kids live.” As a UMass student, I find Sketch 22’s video hysterical; however, although I have been briefly exposed to many of these labels, the descriptions are broad and overarching.  It is certainly helpful to know what you are getting into when choosing your housing, but as a freshman, I was overwhelmed, questioning, “Am I going to party, or will Southwest be a bad influence on me?  I’m pretty “chill,” and have diverse music taste, but am I cool enough to live in Central?  Would I feel too secluded in O. Hill?”  Having the opportunity to join a RAP (Residential Academic Program) was quite a relief, as I didn’t have to intensely over-analyze my personal character before selecting my housing preferences.  And why should you have to perform a deep self-investigation before making a decision that should purely be based on your own comfort level?  The stereotypes described here are true to a minimal extent, but when choosing housing, it is important to keep other standards in mind.