<p>"believe a lot of international students live on Elm"</p>
<p>You're correct.</p>
<p>I, unfortunately, have no idea where Randy Shannon ended up. I can't decide if I like him or the new person better - I haven't had much one-on-one experience with either - but Randy Shannon had better answers to my emails (not better in the benefitted me way, but better answered my questions).</p>
<p>I circled two houses on the roommate form (with no indication of what the circles meant) and ended up with one of them. I don't know if other students have been as lucky.</p>
<p>"although Cutter-Ziskind (Elm) has that sixties/seventies experimental dorm look."</p>
<p>They were ahead of their time. Both were built in the mid 50's</p>
<p>I've heard so many people rave that Randy was just great, a helpful and accommodating--as far as reasonably possible--person in a job that must surely bring more than its share of headaches (housing assignments).</p>
<p><they were="" ahead="" of="" their="" time.="" both="" built="" in="" the="" mid="" 50's=""></they></p>
<p>LOL. In any case, they are ugly -- but the house spirit of the women who live there is strong.</p>
<p>
[quote]
In any case, they [Cutter-Ziskind] are ugly....
[/quote]
See also, "Soviet Modern." I hear they have great large windows. But concrete floors? And there's something about the closets...I forget whether they're large or small. I hate having "middle-aged memory." I used to be able cite trivia like this verbatim a decade after the fact.</p>
<p>TD, I wish I had my Ivy Day booklet here so I could give an area-of-campus breakdown of the Latin Honors kids....but I don't. I will say that I lived in one of the "crunchiest" houses on campus and I remember 1/3 of my house being First Group scholars (top 10% of the class) one year. But, for new students: I knew kids with great grades in all different houses. Smith's not the sort of place to look down on people who are doing well or studying hard. You'll be fine wherever you end up.</p>
<p>Oh, and Cutter-Ziskind are actually the most architecturally significant buildings on campus. Designed by the famous firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, they are the prime example of the American International style in Western Mass. </p>
<p>i agree, though, they are REALLY ugly. I lived there for several weeks while working commencement and reunion, and I hated their bathrooms and how easy it was to get locked out of the rooms...especially good was the time over commencement weekend when I got locked out after a shower and public safety made me wait DOWNSTAIRS in my TOWEL for the officer to come let me in. I'm sure some of the alums/grads/families were wondering...</p>
<p>I managed to lock myself out of my room in Ziskind over reunion, too! Luckily I did it over lunch so I was completely clothed.</p>
<p>I've waited downstairs in a towel in my house for public safety a few times myself. I lived in a house where the HR was in a different building, so even getting a key from her was hard - I wasn't about to walk outside with just a towel in the cold!</p>
<p>Hey! Back off of the Cutter-Z okay (or at least the cutter)? Some things are more important than how a house looks, like the people inside of it. Cutter may not be the most aesthetically pleasing place on campus, but no other house in this entire school has made me feel at home like Cutter does. Besides, the wall of windows creates great natural light and the closets are huge. Also, we have two dining choices for the price of one dining hall (regular and kosher). It's really a great house, for people who need more than just looks in their lives. :-)</p>
<p>Thank you, S&P...I've heard the same defense of Cutter-Z during the verbal jousting at the prospect parties. Glad to have the rebuttal here as well.</p>
<p>"I hate having "middle-aged memory." I used to be able cite trivia like this verbatim a decade after the fact."</p>
<p>Hey, now you have license to make it up! ;)</p>
<p>Make what up? What was it we were talking about?</p>
<p>In the "Pics" thread, there's an exterior photo of Cutter. I wasn't quite encyclopedic in my photo taking and I didn't put up any photos with people who could be recognized but the photos as a group convey a fair sense of Smith visually from the outside. I wish I'd had the opportunity to take more interior shots but a) I was being chivvied along as it was and b) many shots were taken when school was out of session and many buildings were closed. The Student Center and the Art Museum would have been high on my list.</p>
<p>TD...are those pics you took? Good job. I kept one of the quad house my D lives in and placed it on my desktop. Now I can wave to her in the morning and evening...and she doesn't ask for money. <em>lol</em></p>
<p>BJM, yeah, those are mine. I tried to weed out the most egregious turkeys from the flock.</p>
<p>TD...FWIW, I think they're great photos, thanks for the chance to view them. I have looked for Smith photos to download; you know, those that aren't just on the website. Yours made a great desktop; one that I'll keep for at least 3 1/2 more years.</p>
<p>Thanks, BJM. Somewhere in me lives a frustrated photo journalist...maybe that explains the excess weight. With any luck, I'll get some with people in 'em this October. Snow would be nice, too...in moderate quantities.</p>