Choosing the East Side

I just wanted to share a memory of how I came to choose the East Side.

I wanted, or, thought I wanted, a normal, typical college experience. When I looked through the materials housing sent, I thought… Baker. Maybe Burton-Conner. I’d attended some pre-frosh events, and I liked the West Campus women I had met. I thought that was the place for me.

But. I was curious about this other side of campus I had not explored yet.

So, I asked to be placed in EC for rush week. In the spirit of being able to make an informed decision.

The end of the week found me sitting on the ledge outside of 5th East, legs dangling far above the ground, with an older-and-wiser denizen of East Campus, going through my options. I told him that while I really liked everyone I had met on the East Side, I felt that I should go with my original plan to first choice a dorm on the West Side. I told him my reason– to have a “normal” college experience.

“You don’t want that,” he said.

“Yes, yes I do.”

“No, you don’t. If you wanted a normal college experience, you would not have come to MIT.”

I immediately saw that he was right. I chose Senior House, and like so many others before and since, found a home.