Students living in the Hotel Commonwealth and Holiday Inn in Brookline said even into November they still have had a hard time meeting other students housed with them, because doors must remain shut and events are difficult to organize.
Living in a hotel inhibits the introductory process that is an important part of freshman year, according to James Brodie, a School of Management freshman living in the Hotel Commonwealth.
‘It’d be awesome to live here as a sophomore,’ Brodie said. ‘There’s 90 people here, and we don’t even hang out with half of them.’
Students in both hotels are divided between two floors and in Hotel Commonwealth, the 93 students have two study lounges and a social lounge. But they cannot keep their doors open or hang out in the hallway.
The doors must be shut because of security issues, said Director of Housing Marc Robillard.
‘It’s in everybody’s best interest to keep doors closed,’ he said.
The 80 male students at the Holiday Inn have one study lounge, and students are allowed to quietly assemble in the hallway. While students said they have been told propping their doors open with the metal security locks is acceptable, occasionally someone will come around and ask them to shut their doors.
‘I don’t know my neighbors’ names,’ said Holiday Inn resident Kevin Schrecengost, a College of Arts and Sciences freshman. ‘There’s not really a sense of community.’
‘I think if there were girls here, it would be more social,’ said Schrecengost, who is also the secretary of the Holiday Inn Residence Hall Association.
‘The main thing we’re trying to do is connect the floors,’ he said, referring to the RHA. ‘We just want to make sure everyone knows everyone.’
Both hotels’ RHAs have trouble advertising because bulletin boards are prohibited, students said. The Holiday Inn RHA slides fliers under doors promoting upcoming meetings when that procedure was not used, Schrecengost said no one showed up to that week’s meeting.
The Hotel Commonwealth RHA has also had a meeting no one attended, but others have attracted enough to fill the social lounge.
‘Just for interest, we [have meetings] every other week,’ said RHA President John Kresser, a CAS freshman.
However, social isolation is not limited to the hotels, as some freshmen said residences mostly filled with upperclassmen can prevent the typical freshman dorm experience.
School of Engineering freshman Erin Zevolo said she encountered lack of interest at South Campus RHA events because few attended an RHA meeting at the beginning of the school year for freshmen. Students were encouraged to mingle after the meeting, but she said most students only talked to the people they already knew.
Like students living in hotels, Zevolo said she found meeting people in her Park Drive building difficult.
‘I liked the place my roommate and I got along great but my suitemates were sophomores with their own friends,’ she said. ‘I never saw anyone else in the building.’
Because Zevolo does not know if any other freshmen live in her building, she said the hotel students have an advantage.
‘I think my situation is a little more difficult because upperclassmen already know people, whereas the freshmen are more inclined to get to know their fellow classmates,’ she said.
Despite challenges with meeting people, Zevolo requested South Campus and said it has other perks.
‘I didn’t like the idea of giant buildings and wild parties,’ she said. ‘The [Warren Towers] rooms are small and concrete, you can hear peoples’ conversations next door and your closet is a hanging sheet.’
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