You rock, quirks included (also REX)

I’m a freshman living in Random Hall and I love it. I have my quirks and many other Randomites have their quirks too; I feel perfectly free to be exactly who I am, however weird or otherwise. Different kinds of people are welcome; one can socialize or enjoy more alone time, and still find their home an accommodating space. I think this aspect of East Campus culture should be protected, as it is an important moral support for students who identify with this kind of culture to have people who understand them and resonate with.

On a marginally related note, I’d like to echo a previous post about REX. Those four days let me learn so much about the “character” of Random Hall (where I was temped) and other dorms, allowing to make an informed decision to stay in Random. I had such a blast at REX, and I still think it was THE most fun and important event during orientation. It was the best way for prefrosh to understand the respective dorm cultures and figure out which dorms truly fit their needs.

However, upperclassmen have told me that rush period has been shrinking. Not to mention that some FPOPs clash with REX, costing their participants a valuable day or two out of the grand total of merely four days of activities. This reduces the amount of raw data they can collect during REX to make the best possible choice of where to live, arguably one of the most important decisions they have to make at short notice. I was also disappointed, like many prefrosh temped in other dorms to be living in a ghost dorm during REX, when the residents had not moved in. Learning about dorm culture through rush events is fine and dandy, but just as important is actually talking to the actual residents to hear about their experiences and advice.

In short, East Campus should continue to accept and celebrate the quirks of its family members; make REX longer; deconflict REX from everything else; and allow upperclassmen to move in before REX!