<p>Got a quick question...
I recently got assigned a double with the guy I requested but ended up in Ujamaa. Both of us requested that we not live in program housing so I dont really know how this worked out. Does anyone know if the housing officials are flexible enough to change our room situation? Also, what are the program houses, paticularly Ujamaa, like in terms of social life, community, location?
cheers</p>
<p>It might be difficult if both of you want to move to another building. You can call housing and try...but don't get your hopes up.</p>
<p>Ujamma in terms of social life is pretty good, one of the more active program houses on campus. Pretty tight community from what I know and it's on North Campus just east of RPCC.</p>
<p>Housing will not move anyone until classes start. I'm assuming Cornell has over-enrolled again because they have for the past years. Until September or so Housing will only be trying to get students who are living in lounges into dorm rooms, only after that will they start moving around students who are already in dorm rooms.</p>
<p>helaxtrm...i'm in the exact same boat for this year. let me know if you have any luck switching.</p>
<p>I'm also in a program house when I didn't request one...they put me in the Ecology House. I don't really want to be there since on the map it basically looks like it's off campus, and I'm kind of concerned about being too isolated. Anyone have any insights on whether being in Ecology House is actually a good thing?</p>
<p>If you like ecology...and if you want to bring a pet. It's the only dorm that allows pets. If you guys are getting put into PH without requesting it, it probably means everything else on campus is gone. Just wondering, did you guys apply late?</p>
<p>no i applied the day the housing forms were available. and i got accepted early decision.</p>
<p>Ujamma is the African living center. It's essentially full of black people. They tend to self-segregate themselves from the rest of the campus. If that sounds nice, then by all means, stay there!</p>
<p>no that does not sound nice at all. i'm a very social person and i like to meet new people and have large groups of friends. i'm not racist or anything, but i'm a white girl who doesn't want to be in a dorm with people who chose to live in program housing themed for african culture. what should i do?</p>
<p>Well you're in a pickle. Most people won't say this for fear of sounding racist, but the truth is, almost everyone at Ujamma is only friends with other black people (they join afro-centric and basically blacks-only clubs on campus). I imagine that probably isn't the most attractive situation for a white person (let's be honest again, you probably want a good portion of white friends).</p>
<p>My advice: Call the housing office. Call them again and again. Have your parents call. In my three years at Cornell, I got three room changes (although two situations were not similar to you. One was when I had a 27 year old roommate!). They'll probably try to dismiss you. If you can't convince them (and saying "I want white friends!" is probably not going to come off too well), then wait till school starts. It'll be much much easier to move about a month or so into the school year. But this isn't ideal because the first week or two is so imperative for making friends.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: I have nothing against black people at all! I simply don't understand why they're so adamant about forming their own cohesive groups. People should be open to people of all races and not choose to live somewhere that's implicitly hostile to other races. Race relations at Cornell would be much better (as they should be) if minority based groups that bring people together based on something as shallow as skin color were not heavily supported.</p>
<p>Yea Ujamma's cool but you don't want to spend your freshman year there if you didn't want to live in the program house itself. Like even if you ended up there by accident as a sophomore, whatever. But this is your freshman year. An experience like no other. You should try to move.</p>