Rob Godzeno '06, who is serving his second year as House President, was pleased with the decision. "It's nice to have an entire dorm [Williston] for the first time ever as well as housing that is appropriate for seniors in King," he said.
While the rooms in Williston will be open to new applicants, the fourth floor of King will be reserved for current Wellness House members who are planning to reapply next year. Denise McGoldrick, House Advisor and Director of Health Education, said that the Wellness House tried to provide housing that would be typical of what would be available during room draw in order to accommodate both rising sophmores as well as current members.
Often, the Wellness House receives criticism for getting good building placement. McGoldrick defended the placement of the Wellness House in the desirable and new Williston Hall and King Dormitory. "[The Wellness House includes] the people who are the least likely to have dorm damage, especially in a brand-new building like Williston," McGoldrick said. "They'll keep it nicer."
Currently, the Wellness House occupies the first and second floors of Morrow and the third floor of Williston. There are 48 people living in the Wellness House this year. "I think for people who are living there it is a respite from housing they've had as a freshman that was perhaps unsatisfactory for them," said McGoldrick. "It's not necessarily a quiet space. There are people who are fun and sometimes loud but just don't want to party with alcohol."
Providing a substance-free environment is the goal of the Wellness House. "[We want] to provide a space that's alcohol- and substance-free for people who don't want to be around alcohol," said McGoldrick. "[We also want] to give them a safe space to live." To apply for the Wellness House, one must submit an application along with a recommendation from his or her R.C. Applicants participate in interviews.
McGoldrick mentioned the effectiveness of the interview and recommendation process in order to guard against the students who apply for the Wellness House in order to receive better housing. "[It helps eliminate people who want] real estate rather than the House itself," explained McGoldrick.
Sophomores have notoriously received some of the worst housing on campus due to the seniority-based room draw process, and current first-years have considered applying for the Wellness House. "After a semester in the mods, I think that I would probably be willing to live in the substance-free housing, provided that it's in a central location on campus," said Josh Stanton '08, who lives in the Plaza. "I am kind of worried that the treks across campus will continue next year if I end up living on the hill."
Many first-years will also compete for coveted singles next year. "I would live in a substance-free dorm if it was nice and I could live in a nice-sized single," said Paola Ligonde '08. "I'm not much of a drinker anyway which doesn't keep me from having fun. I feel like a substance-free environment would actually be a good one."
However, Godzeno said that the housing office worked to offer housing equivalent to what would be offered through room draw, adding that sophomores probably would not receive singles. "These aren't bad rooms, but they certainly aren't great either. I don't see any advantage for a sophomore to apply to [the Wellness House] to try to get some of these rooms compared to where they would be living if they go through room draw, unless they really want to live in a sub-free environment," he said.
The Wellness House will soon hold an Open House for those interested in applying for the House next year. "I think it's important to have housing for people because students here care deeply about their living space and they need to be comfortable in their rooms," said McGoldrick. "I think that it's important that we are able to ensure that students no matter what year they're in are able to have substance-free housing at Amherst."
Tasha Hines '07, the Resident Counselor on the substance-free first floor of Morrrow, approves of the move. "I'm very pleased with the decision to move ... to King and Williston," she said. "As an R.C. in the ... Wellness portion of Morrow Dorm, I feel that providing a nice, comfortable space for students who need or chose to live in substance-free housing is very important. Many of my residents are looking forward to the move as well."
John Kim '06, who lived in substance-free housing last year, agreed. "The move should be nice," he said. "Location doesn't matter too much in terms of choosing whether to live in substance-free housing, but King will definitely be a nice place to be."
Godzeno expressed enthusiasm for the increased influence of the Wellness House. "It's exciting to be part of a growing community that is now starting to secure a prominent place in the life of the College," said Godzeno. "I swear, people can have fun while sober too!"