The general sentiment among the residents of James and Stearns seems to be that of gratitude and shock. First-year Eartha Bell summed up the feelings of her classmates quite accurately. "I love it. It's amazing," she said. "It's nicer than what I expected."
With more than enough space to play, study and party, these lucky students have nothing to write home complaining about. "It was a very pleasant surprise when I walked in. I had heard so many things about James, but I never expected it to be this nice," said Clint Marchese '09. "I had an idea of a small room in my head for a while."
Although first-years living in North and South Colleges can also claim to know the scent of that fresh pine smell unique to recently renovated halls, only James and Stearns have the added perk of the infamous two-room double. Thirty-four first-years in each dorm are living with a door separating them from their roommates.
Students are relieved to know they can still enjoy the perks of sharing a room while maintaining a certain degree of privacy. "You still get a roommate, so it's not like having a single, but if one of us wants to sleep in it's easier," said Jacob Read '09.
Senior Ben Softness, who lived in a two-room double in James his freshman year, agreed that two-room doubles are the best way to maintain a friendly space between two people who may not have very much in common. "It is a good way to prevent a bad roommate situation," he said.
Most members of the class of 2009 are surprised at how much space the dorms leave for socializing. However, some residents had a sneak peak of the dorms before arriving. "Somebody put up a Quick Time video [of Stearns] online, so I had seen it before, but I didn't expect it to be so huge," said Jeffrey Grover '09.
The library, lounge and kitchen on the first floor of each dorm were all a part of the College's plan to provide underclassmen with more space to interact with one another.
In an effort to make the new dorms more accommodating to students, the College formed student focus groups to recommend changes to all new residence halls. "The design of the buildings are a reflection of students' suggestions," said Charri Boykin-East, the senior dean of students and director of residential life. "We really paid attention to the students when they talked about not having enough space [to interact]. What we found was that most of the social spaces on campus were in upperclassman dorms."
Constructing the new facilities based on some of the suggestions of focus groups has been a success among first-years. "I think it's unlike any other dorm situation I've ever seen," said Christopher Resier '09. "I feel pretty lucky to live here."
So far the class of 2009 seems eager to utilize every nook and cranny available to them. "The lounge is a great place to hang out and meet new faces," said Marchese. He hopes the College will invest in a ping-pong table for the lounge.
Margaret Ramsey '07, an RC in James who lived in the old Stearns as a first-year, said that she had trouble getting to know most of the other students who lived in Stearns because no one hung out in the common spaces. "I did not know the kids in my dorm besides the ones on my floor," she said. "I really sincerely hope [the freshmen living here now] use the common space."
Students who lived in the late James and Stearns were notorious for making the best of their less than perfect housing situation. Over the years, residents from the two dorms developed their own sense of identity as students who were living the legacy of these 49-year-old dorms.
The old James and Stearns were notorious for their cramped two-room triples, narrow hallways, dark rooms, dank basements, closets that resembled gym lockers and general wear and tear. They were also known as the best freshman party dorms and hosted the infamous James Reclaims and Stearns Returns parties.
Softness is worried that the legacy of James and Stearns could be in jeopardy. "I think they have lost some of their history," he said. "When I lived in there they were the fun dorms. It was like you could do whatever you wanted because they weren't brand-new."
With a sister in the class of 2009 living in the renovated James, it's no wonder that Softness is a bit envious of the students living in the new building. He admitted that it will be easier for her to socialize than it was for him because she will have so much mingling space at her disposal. "Most of my friends were in James, but it was a lot harder to get to know people. We had to hang out in people's rooms," he said. "We missed out on a place to congregate."
Ramsey admitted that the changes in James and Stearns have made a tremendous difference in the attitude of the students. "This is a much more cheerful environment," she said. Yet, she still feels nostalgic for the more rugged days of old. "I loved the old dorms because they had character, and we were forced to defend them [because of their grossness]."
Approximately 170 members of the class of 2009 enjoy both the luxury and space of James and Stearns. As for the remaining 300 first-years who find themselves feeling quite jealous of their fellow classmates-they need not worry. Every dorm has its own character and perks. (See Plaza and Waldorf foster tight community, page 4)
Standing in the massive lounge on the first floor of these new additions to the Freshman Quad family can leave any upperclassmen at a loss for words. Yet, first-year Angus Schaller readily expressed his excitement at living in the chic new James with one simple statement: "It's pretty sweet."