CGB Census: Cal Fans, Where'd You Live Freshman Year?

I lived in Dwight Derby (Clark Kerr) Building 12. Loved it unreservedly. The parking, the dining hall, the running track, the lovely spaciousness of it (maybe not the coed bathrooms, though). It was pleasantly but not raucously social, and I made many many good friends.

And I think it was good for me, not just for the unavoidable 2 miles of walking each day, but because it kind of forced me to spend time on campus during the day, as it was just that little bit too far to go back to my room between classes.

I moved in right after they remodeled Unit 3 so it was the nicest, with the Sizzler looking DC.

Room 1B27C, Foothill La Loma. The year of three roommates. After that, I always had a single room in the reshall system…

First year of grad school, I got to be among the first people to live in the College-Durant apartments. (I think they have some other name now.)

-kat

unit 1 deutsch-bag here.

Unit 2, Davidson, 7th floor, 2003-04 – the damned construction year that made the entire block look like a war zone and cost us our lounge, amongst other amenities that everybody else enjoyed after that year.

Putnam, Room 610 – corner triple with carpet and wood furniture, before the renovation — way before. I had the single, twin bed; my roomies had to bunk it.

Our floor was co-ed and had laundry machines, but no lounge, hence the lack of burning microwave popcorn smell.

Where is the Cowell College, Beard House option for us slugs?

Bowles. I loved it because it was so social. I found that the people who lived in the Units (and Foothill) seemed to have a very “floor” or “suite” oriented view on things. But in Bowles, I found it to be much less focused on the immediate area and open to people from all 7 flooors.

It was great. Two of us in a corner room. Right next to the fire escape stairs, with a window overlooking Durant & Dana. Right across the street from Kip’s and Sufficient Grounds.

Pure freaking perfection.

Can’t believe I remember the room number. It’s been a while.
Sophomore year was in Cheney Hall (Unit 1 also), 612.

Unit 3, Haste-Channing.

I was originally slotted for Bowles. But, then I broke my ankle playing tennis. My doc, a Cal grad, sent in a note mandating that I be moved someplace with an elevator. So, they stuck me into the Asian-Pacific Theme House at HC.

…living in the only “converted triple” (a regular doubles-sized room, but with 3 people living in it instead…ugh) on the floor.

I miss the floor-wide Counterstrike battles, though. Man, those were fun.

Unit 3, Norton Hall, Room 408.

Freshman year: Unit 1 Cheney 6th floor. Fucking double room converted into a triple. I chose Unit 1 over something like Foothill because I wanted to be in a more social place. Meh. I didn’t like my floor though the people that lived there were generally all right.

Soph: Unit 2 mini suites. Much better than frosh year even if my roomie sucked. Plus we got our own bathroom (mini suite without suite mates thanks to being in the corner!)

Junior: apartment near Hearst and Shattuck

Man, those were great times. My freshman year, I could see the Big C and the Campanile from my bed.

Also, there was DC++.

Back in pre history, the 70’s, there was no reqruirement to live in the dorm your freshman year…in fact, there were not enough dorms to accomodate the demand there was… and there was an overall housing shortage…not knowing much about them, and needing a place to live I checked out frat life, loved it and never looked back..three happy years in the house before moving out with my girlfriend…still involved in the house as an alum…great times

I put in for no preference in rooms when I went to Cal and wouldn’t you know it I ended up on the male only floor! I was amazed at the co-Ed bathrooms. Still, my floor managed to bond really well and I remember late nights of staying up talking about stupid stuff and planning shennanigans against the all female floor. It was pretty cool and I am glad I had the experience.

for 3, then an apartment from which one can spit onto memorial.

Triple, in Foothill. My two roommates freshman year was a gay black dude with two girlfriends, Shaniqua and Qua-Shanika (not kidding) whom he would talk to nonstop on his cell, and a conservative christian Chinese EECS major.

Fun times.

Did anyone live in I-House? Do you have to be an international student to live there?

Unit 1 – Deutsch Hall

Thought I would hat it because it was so “far” from campus. But I loved it here. Social place, spacious halls, good dining hall, nice atmosphere. It was a great year.

but lived in a fraternity my entire time here. I’ve met some good friends in the house, and it’s an amazing deal, but good thing I didn’t move into one as a freshman. Frat life just really isn’t for me at all. Although it was AMAZING to have a cook for my first 2 semesters…

Suite 8B21 – the backwards suite, because our emergency exit was on the south side of the suite (every one else’s was on the north side. Because our suite was right at the back gate of Foothill, we’d be going a different direction than everyone else :)

As a chem major, living in Foothill kicked ass because it was only a 5 minute walk to Pimentel and CoC. Rolling out of bed at 10am (for a 10am class) was pretty awesome, compared to all those Unit 1/2/3 suckers who had to walk up that big-ass hill to get to class. As far as Foothill not being social, I heartily disagree. I had friends in plenty of different suites and on the LaLoma side too, so it was plenty social. Had friends in Stern too. It was also great for me because I never had to worry about living on some crazy floor in the units where there might be crazy parties and all that stuff I didn’t want where I lived.

I lived in the Unit 3 as an RA, and I’m certainly glad for that experience. I’m glad I got to see both sides of the coin, I can certainly see the upside of living in the Units as well.

that’s right.

1. I was denied assignment to dorm, but parents had slipped in co-op application for me as fall-back. (Dad is a physics guy so he thought Cal was the best education/dollar. He planned ahead on co-op (big housing shortages at the time) and convinced me Cal the only place I needed apply. It was an easy sell: I didn’t even know what college was, much less that there were options. Anyways, he planned ahead.)
2. I had never been to Berkeley before I started school, and on top of that had not been exposed to the kind of things unfettered college students do with free time.
3. Mom and a family friend drove me up my first semester, dropped me off for orientation and they went to unload my duffel bag. They park on Ridge Rd, see some scruffy looking guy with stringy long hair and no shoes shuffling up the street, duck down in car, then look up to see him fishing a key out of his pants pocket and open the front door. They compose themseves, drop my stuff in my room and look out of window to see giant marijuana plant on balcony. Plant was tended by the same long hair guy. (Ken Atkins, nice guy, physics graduate student (so there, dad), died a couple of years later from heart failure.) Tears ensue, but mom was composed (again) by the time I arrived. Two weeks later another family friend is passing through town and mom has her bring cleaning supplies for me, just in case.
4. I stayed there all five years.
5. I went back a couple of years ago on college tour with the three young scholars I tutored from inner city Washington, D.C. The boys come from pretty rough circumstances, but they were shocked by the lack of cleanliness. I assured them it was much better in my day. (Which is probably true, in part because Barrington still existed as the extreme option in the system. Now that was a strange place.)
6. Obligatory anachronistic reference to show the youngsters what is the what: tutition: about $750/semester. room at board at coop: about the same. If you were frugal, and worked hard in the summer, you could make enough to pay all bills, avoid debt, and not need a part time job.

jh