Quad plan earns mostly positive student reviews

In response to the recent announcement of a major four-year Quadrangle renovation process, most students agreed that centering the college houses around individual courtyards will better the quality of life for students in the mainly-freshman dormitory. Under the terms of the renovations -- announced over a week ago and scheduled to begin this summer -- the Quad's four college houses will merge into three, each of which will surround its own courtyard. Construction will also add more common space, including lounges, music practice rooms and seminar rooms. A new entryway that will open on the south side of the Quad will provide easier access to Hamilton Walk and allow each house to have its own distinct entrance. College freshman David Connor agreed that "it makes more sense" to organize the college houses around the courtyards, but added that if officials want to increase house unity they should give the houses more "distinguishing features." College freshman Paige Donaldson said the individual courtyards should prove beneficial to the general goal of house cohesion. "If there were a bigger courtyard and everyone would go there, I think it would be cool because we'd have a lot more access to friends and acquaintances that we don't see all of the time," she said. But not all students were as optimistic about the plan. "I don't think [the project] is going to inspire a huge improvement in house unity," said College freshman Sue-Hyung Shin, who did add, however, that the renovations would definitely be an improvement over current conditions in the Quad. Students differed in their opinions on the necessity of a third entryway to the Quad. Some, like Donaldson, thought the entrance would be a good idea. "I think it sounds pretty awesome," she said. Because Donaldson lives in the westernmost tip of Goldberg College House, she said an entrance on the other side of the Quad would be more convenient for her. But College freshman Michele Boscia said that while a third entryway is necessary, the location of the proposed one off of Hamilton Walk is inconvenient and will probably not be used as much as the others. "I don't think the third entranceway would be useful because I don't think many people go through that way," Page said. "It might turn out to be more of a hassle." All students agreed that considerable improvements are needed before upperclassmen will be willing to stay in the Quad for more than one year. "No upperclassman wants to be here with all of the drunken freshmen going out to frat parties together," College freshman Jonathan Blotner said. Students agreed that they might be enticed to stay in the Quad if the rooms were more attractive. "The Quad's always going to be freshman-dominated, but having suites would definitely make you think twice about [leaving]," Shin said. College freshman Michele Boscia agreed that private bathrooms would be nice, but added that "I love living here -- it's so convenient to everything."