<p>I am a rising junior, and I know I frustrating it is to not know about the housing you were put in. I can answer any questions about the low rises and townhouses because I have lived in both. Other housing I can do too, but I am not an expert b/c I never lived in them.
Misconceptions Dismantled:
Ujamaa is NOT the "Black" dorm, it has an African continent and African Diaspora theme. It's comparable to the Jewish Living Center. It is not just Black people that live there all kinds of races, religions, class years, etc live there too</p>
<p>and...</p>
<p>Townhouses are NOT unsociable(they are actually the opposite, but that depends on the type of person you are)</p>
<p>Also, fell free to PM any questions you don't feel comfortable posting.</p>
<ol>
<li>is there a piano in the townhouse community center?</li>
<li>how convenient is the bus? if i decide to walk to the arts and sciences walk during wintertime(with snow), how long will it take?</li>
<li>how useful is the kitchen? do people still rely on the cafeterias or do some people spruce things up a bit and do the cooking themselves</li>
<li>party much? i kind of hope that there might be good parties in the townhouses since they're so much larger than normal dorms
thanks a lot!</li>
</ol>
<p>You say that there are students from all ethnic backgrounds at Ujamaa. What percentage of the kids actually applied to live there versus getting placed there? Also, the Cornell website describes a lot of African Continent themed activities. If kids that got placed there without asking don't attend the activities, how are they thought of by the residents that requested Ujamma?</p>
<p>To isolabella:
1. Yes there is a piano in the community center and people play as well. I don't know how much in tune they keep it. But there are pianos in all the dorms and two or three in the Robert Purcell Community Center. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>For townhouse people the bus is one of the biggest perks. Townhouses are right in front of the first stops on the bus routes so you guyz get first picks on the seats. In the winter or when it's raining hard there are so many people trying to get on and you all, on the bus already, will pass by their sad faces b/c the bus is too full lol. But if you wanna walk to central campus/arts quad it takes like 10 minutes. But I know when I was a freshman with a free bus pass I found myself making my schedule around the bus schedule. You will probably use the bus most of the time</p></li>
<li><p>If you like to cook you will find the kitchen useful. People do cook if they want...I didn't 'cause that takes going to the grocery store with the bus and carrying back a bunch of stuff...and I was too lazy too cook anyway. But most people frequent the dining halls. School work forces one to do what is easiest.</p></li>
<li><p>Townhouses are the best place to do ur biz and party with your peoples. The RAs there don't come snooping unless it's Slope Day.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Hope that helped!</p>
<p>Nell: I don't know the percentages(I don't even think they take stats like that) but I know there are some people that didn't apply to live in Uj and there are some people that did. But that is like that with all the program houses, freshman always want the "traditional dorm". And that is understandable since everyone wants to come in feeling like everyone else. What you all don't know yet is that they are all the same, people aren't going to be different because they live in a certain dorm, they are different b/c they just are.
If you were randomly assigned to Uj, it is nice, I personally always compare it to townhouses, but that's 'cause I can't live there anymore. It is unusually hot but that is due to the central heating system being right next to the dormitory. The people there are nice and it easier to make friends then in some of the other dorms.</p>
<p>As for not attending the activities...no one really attends the activities for their program house it's not a requirement and you will not be looked down upon by other people b/c they won't attend either. But don't be surprised if a program does interest you. Being interested in African-related things is as odd as being interested in European-related things(meaning it is not weird at all).</p>