A global community

In the world known as "college," it's that time of year again. Acceptances, waitlists, you know the drill. These days, it's all electronic; send in your application online and get a response by e-mail. The stakes are high; after all, this is where you'll be spending the next few years of your life.

But what can I say? I was just one of the lucky ones accepted to upperclass housing. Quick, someone get me a bumper sticker - Upperclass Housing Class of 2010!

Now I know what you're thinking. How did she get accepted to upperclass housing? Did you see her draw time from last year? It was horrible! Not to mention her housing application ... didn't she fill it out the night before? Well, yeah. Perhaps the people on the housing committee were simply in a good mood the day they put my name high on the draw time list. We'll never know.

I have to say that as a prospective member of upperclass housing, I'm quite excited. I mean, look at all the diversity I'll encounter! Yes, I know, I've lived near people from Kenya and Singapore and Pakistan, but next year I might even get to live near people from Forbes! What an experience that would be. I've seen them a few times, those Forbesians ... how quaint they look, carrying their backpacks with them all day long because they don't have time to go back to their rooms. I've heard that their culture is rich in ancient traditions, like their historic warrior code: "Die for the Inn!"

But I'm hardly qualified to comment on the tribal customs of Forbesians. After all, I'm leading a sheltered life up here in Rocky. We're all of different nations, races, and backgrounds, but no matter how you slice it, we're all Rockyites. Where's the diversity in that?

As sheltered as we are, our Rocky patriotism is one-of-a-kind. We walk around campus in our bright-green sweatshirts, heads held high, knowing that our architecture holds a special place in the hearts of camera-wielding Asian tourists everywhere. Oh say can you see our lion-spangled banner? Be jealous, Mathey. You are the Canada to our Yankee-doodle Rocky. Yes, your architecture's not so bad, your lifestyle's fairly similar, but let's be honest: You wish you lived in the nation of Holder and Witherspoon, from dorm to shining dorm. Not that I have anything against Mathey, really, besides the fact that it's not Rocky. Occasionally I cross the border for a meal or two in their land. We're such close allies that we've even had some territory swaps. I believe that sometime over the summer, Rocky annexed part of Campbell with little to no bloodshed.

And speaking of annexing, let's not forget Whitman, which has asserted itself as Princeton's own little China, arising out of nowhere to become a powerhouse. Its campus-wide influence frightens us. Free Spelman 7 and 8! The protests of these peaceful independents from the Spelman monasteries may involve mere pen and paper for now, but before long they will be lighting themselves on fire on McCosh Walk. But enough of politics. Whitman's quite the area for tourism. With the exquisite cuisine in its dining hall, it has proven irresistible to many. I try to keep my dining experiences down there to a minimum, however, due to the unbearable crowds driven by an influx of Wilsonians.

Wilsonians? As in, from that third-world residential college?

Yes, that's the one. And who can blame them for frequently migrating to Whitman? They suffer in their antiquated dining hall. Eat your dinner, Rockyites, there are starving children in Wilson. They live in dorms made of brick that are shunned by tour groups. What a frightful existence. As the saying goes, Wilson is the new Butler. And really, who can say anything bad about Butlerites anymore? Yes, they used to live in a strange world of waffle ceilings. But one day, a giant wrecking-ball came down on them like a tsunami, making headlines in Princeton newspapers everywhere. The little Butler refugees have bravely forged ahead in new homes like Cuyler. Their story should be an inspiration to us all, especially us up-campus folk basking in our beautiful dorms, so out of touch with the real Princeton-bubble world.

And so, next fall, I'm packing my bags and heading to upperclass housing. I may know people from all over the globe now, but soon I'll get to meet people from all over the campus map! It'll be just like I always imagined, staying up until 3 a.m. and talking about life with someone as different as a Wilsonian or a Forbesian. And isn't that what college is really all about?

 

Christine Brozynski is a sophomore from Mendham, N.J. She can be reached at cbrozyns@princeton.edu.