<p>I've heard a lot about SWIL, but I was just wondering about the club's relationship with the rest of the school. When I stayed overnight it seemed as if they were very isolated from the rest of the community. Is this true?</p>
<p>No. I don't think it's true at all, other than the fact that many SWILies live in Mary Lyon, which is some distance from "campus".</p>
<p>Many Swatties don't want to live in Mary Lyon purely from a distance standpoint, so sometimes it's easy to mistake that for a sentiment about SWILies that isn't there.</p>
<p>Added to the mix is that Mary Lyon is effectively the only dorm where you could successfully chose to stay put for three (or even four) years. Otherwise, you are pretty much guaranteed to move from dorm to dorm during your four years, simply due to the realities of the lottery system. So, people who pick into Mary Lyon in the lottery do tend to form fairly strong community bonds over time.</p>
<p>Some (actually far from all this year, at least) SWIL people live in ML. It is important to know that ML has about 20 SWIL people in it. Out of 120 people.</p>
<p>Some SWIL people are isolated. A lot aren't. I think the club probably does attract a few more of the isolated people, but there is a very strong SWIL-stereotype that, more often than not, is quite a ways from the truth.</p>
<p>Disclosure: I'm sort of a part-time SWIL member. And I live in ML.</p>
<p>what is SWIL?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/org/swil/%5B/url%5D">http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/org/swil/</a></p>
<p>arador: How do you like living in ML? What is it like not being directly on campus?</p>
<p>From what my sister (current Swat student, not in SWIL or ML, dating an MLer) tells me, SWIL does have a specific social group associated with it, which can be at times cliquish. They are a tight-knit, supportive group. </p>
<p>If you are entering Swat and want to be a SWILer, just mark "science fiction/fantasy" on your room questionnaire. Your chances of being put in ML go up around 97%.</p>