For University, Spelman 8 great success

The addition of Spelman building 8 to Whitman College was a major draw this year for upperclassmen eager to have both a kitchen and a meal plan, as the popularity of the independent dining option continues to decline.

The apartment-style Spelman suites, each of which is equipped with a full kitchen, have traditionally been reserved for juniors and seniors who are independent and therefore have neither a meal plan nor an eating club membership.

Interest in the independent dining option, however, “has been steadily decreasing over the last 5 years,” Undergraduate Housing manager Angela Hodgeman said in an e-mail.

This year, roughly 144 independent students are living in Spelman housing, Hodgeman said.

Whitman’s expansion into Spelman affords some students the opportunity to combine independent and residential college dining options but may lead to a further decrease in interest in independent draw.

Katie Zaeh ’10, for example, said in an e-mail that she dropped out of independent room draw in favor of the Whitman draw because her draw time in Whitman gave her a better chance of getting into a Spelman suite.

Others, such as Mike Gilson ’10, get the best of three worlds.

Gilson said that he is enjoying the benefits of having both a kitchen in his suite and a shared meal plan between Whitman College and Cloister Inn. Having three dining options is “very convenient,” he explained, because as an athlete, he often needs extra food during times when neither the dining hall nor Cloister is open. “The main reason I joined [Whitman] was because of Spelman,” Gilson said.

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Some students initially expressed concern that the addition of Spelman 8 to Whitman would detract from the sense of community that four-year residential colleges are intended to foster, but Whitman College dean Rebecca Graves-Bayazitoglu GS ’02 said in an e-mail that students in Spelman are well-integrated with the rest of the college.

Because Spelman is so close to the rest of Whitman, she explained, “it’s not really much different than a hallway in Whitman proper that happens to be mostly upperclassmen.”

Zaeh, however, said that she does not feel connected to her new Whitman community. A former “proud Wilsonite,” she noted that she has been too busy to attend the college’s sponsored events. “I function more or less like any other upperclassman in upperclass housing with the added benefits of a kitchen and late meal,” Zaeh said.

Gilson, on the other hand, said that he feels like a full member of the Whitman community. While living in Spelman does not place Gilson directly among Whitman’s freshmen or sophomores, he said, “I think I’m just as much a part of Whitman as the rest,” adding that he has met several underclassmen by eating regularly in the college’s dining hall.

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As for whether Spelman 8 will keep its new place in Whitman College, Graves-Bayazitoglu said she thinks “having Spelman 8 as part of Whitman is working out just fine” and would like to find a way to accommodate as many upperclassmen as possible in future years.

The University had originally planned to add both Spelman 7 and 8 to Whitman but amended its decision in response to student opposition and higher-than-expected demand for independent housing. As a result of the compromise, Spelman 7 remains housing for independent students, while Spelman 8 houses 24 Whitman juniors and seniors.

Hodgeman said that bed allocation for next school year is currently being discussed. “A student survey is being implemented to gauge student interest in various options,” she explained.