What a difference a year makes

That was a year ago. Since then, I’ve come to realize that Princeton’s residential college system does, in fact, work fairly well. Most importantly, I’ve lived on campus for a year, and so now have a much better grasp on the efficacy of Princeton’s application of the residential college idea than I did when I was a freshman.

On the residential front, the biggest step the University has taken forward in the past year is undoubtedly the opening of new Butler College. One issue I think I got right last year was the concept of social Darwinism as applied to dining halls and common spaces: Since the food in the Wu dining hall was pretty obviously inferior to that in Whitman, I found myself eating most of my meals across Elm Drive. Now that the combined Butler/Wilson servery is open, Butler and Wilson students have much less of an incentive to jump ship. In fact, the bigger concern is that “WuCox” is now in serious danger of being as overcrowded as Whitman was last year. Stay tuned for college night.

Also, a lack of geographical unity isn’t as big a deal as I thought it was last fall. While I still can’t tell where Rocky ends and Mathey begins, Butler, Wilson — and, most of all, Whitman — are distinct enough so as to create a sense of loyalty. What’s more, since Princeton’s residential colleges slowly diffuse into one another, I see more friends than I would if our dorms were collected into entirely distinct architectural units. In that sense, it may be better to build dorms and then collectivize them ex post facto, as opposed to setting out with the specific goal of individual units in mind.

Most of all, though, while I still think that residential college unity isn’t as strong as it could be, I’m not as bothered by a lack of it as I was last fall. This stems from two realizations. First, now that I’ve met plenty of people, joined clubs, gotten to know my roommates and developed a routine, I don’t have as much need for paternalistic guidance as I did when I was a newly minted freshman. In fact, if Butler started trying to foist all kinds of activities, events, requirements and information sessions on me, I think I’d be more annoyed than anything else.

What’s more, I’ve grown to really appreciate the activities, events and guidance that Butler does provide. I get at least 10 e-mails a week from the College Office, which go a long way toward making my life easier. The “Luminary Minds” series (not unique to Butler) is well run and has brought a long list of very impressive people to Wu. The bottom line on my residential college experience has been that Butler and its staff are there if I need them, but otherwise are content to leave me alone.

What surprised me most about reading that column again was how little flak I took for ideas that I now think are seriously misguided. There’s sort of an understanding at the ‘Prince’ that part of cutting your teeth as a columnist is being called a moron by a troll on the comments section. Evidence: the several commenters who last January accused me of thinking that it was physically impossible to get to the Graduate College without taking a bus: “Why do we let freshman write opinion articles?” Thanks, “butler proud”. Good to know that you value spelling about as much as I value your opinion.

Our residential colleges will likely never be as strong as Yale’s or Harvard’s, but the system seems to fit the particular character of Princeton quite well. Plus, we’ll always have a cultural leg up: Two years ago, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the founding of residential colleges at Princeton, the University commissioned a number of students to write a musical celebrating the occasion. The result: “RESCOL: The Musical.” If you haven’t seen it already, watch the video. It’s a work of art.

Oh, and to the random Whitman girl who studies all the time in the new common room on the floor above mine: Please go back to Whitman. You’re hardcore creeping us out.