Space at Columbia seems to be the hot-button topic of the week---what is it? Where is it? What does it mean for our community? How can we maximize it?
In Wednesday’s Canon, four contributors gave their takes on what Columbia’s physical structures mean for its students' social and interpersonal networks. Yesterday, columnist James Yoon proposed that Columbia essentially raze its dormitories, and undertake a multimillion-dollar project to establish a house system à la Oxford and Yale. Considering this is about as likely to happen as no snowfall this weekend, here are some peer institutions Columbia might do well to imitate without an infrastructural overhaul:
1. MIT
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
At MIT, all of the dorm buildings are themed communities with distinct personalities. Students get to pick into dorms the summer before freshman year (much like Columbia), and after orientation week, during which they “rush” their dorm and other dorms around them, students are allowed to apply to transfer to another dorm that best suits their needs. Additionally, students don’t have to change residences every year and can remain in the same room in the same building if they want too; this institutionalizes mixing between classes and fosters community among a like-minded yet diverse group of people (unlike the LLC which, let’s be real, is essentially sophomores looking for singles and a kitchen).
