Ziskind House

<p>Hi, I got my rooming assignment from Smith and I will be in Ziskind. I got a single which I was happy about but when I went to campus today and saw the rooms it didn't have the homey feel which I was expecting it just felt... very large. So I thought the rooms would be fairly large like in the quads but they seemed small to me. In the end I left the building feeling it was just like any other dorm at any other school. I don't want to seem ungrateful but this was the impression which I received.
After my visit I have a couple of questions. Is Ziskind a loud house like the quads? Or to be more accurate, has it been a loud house in the last couple of years? Are the dorm rooms in the dorm smaller than those in most of the other houses? Is it a hassle to get to classes in the winter? If I wanted to, would I be able to ask for a transfer to Green street?</p>

<p>Sacora, I can’t answer your particular questions, but I can say this: a room is a room and dorm is a dorm, but it’s the close friendships, hard work, fun times and special memories that will make Ziskind your home, and that takes time. Give it some time.</p>

<p>I can honestly say I don’t think anyone who gets assigned to Cutter or Ziskind their first year is thrilled at first. They don’t have the look of other houses on campus and they’re probably not part of the fantasy you’ve been spinning for yourself about what your Smith house will be like. I can also honestly tell you that looks are deceiving. When I got assigned to Cutter I was furious and determined to transfer immediately. Little did I know that I would spend many happy years there, make all of my best Smith friends there, and even serve as House President. It’s the people that make a house a home, not the style of it. In Cutter I found the best people and the tightest community I could have asked for. I know many people who were more miserable in much prettier houses. So my first piece of advice is to give it a chance. </p>

<p>My second piece of advice is to buy colorful dorm stuff. Posters, bed spreads, a rug are must haves in Cutter/Z and the brighter colors you can get the better. It feels like an insane asylum at first with the white walls, grey floors, and heavy drapes, but you’ll be amazed how homey you can make it feel with some bright posters, a good lamp, and a nice rug. Also get bed risers, those will lift your bed to a normal height for seating and comfort. </p>

<p>My third piece of advice is to focus on the positive. You got a single as a first year! The only other place on campus you would be so likely to do that is in King House in the Quad. If you move to Green Street, it’s highly unlikely you’d have a single until maybe your junior year. The houses are smaller and they’re high in demand. Also the rooms on Green street would be much smaller. I think in terms of size the Cutter/Z rooms are pretty average for singles on campus. There are bigger ones in some houses, but also many that are smaller. The closets are a very good size. Again, once you settle in the space will feel a lot different.</p>

<p>Other positives: It’s very close to the campus center (I’m not telling you to do this, but I routinely walked from Cutter, via Ziskind, to the CC with no coat on in the dead of winter, it’s just such a short walk). It’s very close to classes (5 min walk, maybe 10 to the science quad). Keep in mind you can walk through the dining hall and exit out the Cutter side, which opens right onto the crosswalk in front o JMG. So the walk is short and you get to do more of it indoors, which is a plus in the winter. You have a great dining hall right downstairs that serves regular food and kosher food, so you have two meal options in one place. You can also pop downstairs any time you want for a snack or some water (or during finals time they leave the soda machines on all night). The dining hall is also a great place to study if you need quiet away from your room or a place to convene a study group. </p>

<p>Whether Ziskind is a loud house or not will depend on the people that are there. When I was in Cutter it was not a very loud house. We liked to have a good time, but I don’t remember it ever being super noisy. Those ugly white walls are good for one thing: blocking out noise! It will help if your room faces the dining hall/courtyard, rather than the street, because street side rooms are always a little noisier. </p>

<p>Final piece of advice: After you move in, go down to the basement to the Cutter side and see if you can find the secret Dr. Seuss room!</p>

<p>Hi Sacora, are you an incoming Smithie? I’m also assigned for Ziskind. I’m in 301 and it’s a double room. Just like you, I felt very disappointed when I saw the result. I love small houses like park annex, but Ziskind is just…too giant and modern. Also, about 40 people sharing a bathroom upsets me. However, just like SmithieandProud said, I decide to give it a chance. Besides, I already found my roommate a friendly girl. I think I’ll live a great life there. Which room are you in?</p>

<p>New Smithies, you will be fine. What a great opportunity you have to obtain a first rate education and be assigned quality housing. The best I could do for two years at Northwestern was a double where one guy slept each night in the “bunk room” with 30 other guys who would continually show up during the night at all hours. Best yet the fire marshall required that the windows to this room be open a minimum of 9 inches-- this was really sweet during the winter-- snow drifts deluxe. While my double/bunk room experiences were back in the late 60’s I suspect your Ziskind singles and doubles rate somewhat higher. Oh, by the way, with regard to the 30 guys in the bunk room-- they did more than just stumble in at all hours, they snored, passed gas, did not always smell very good, and occasionally puked next to their beds. (FWIW, I’m trying to say “count your blessings”). Hope this helps.</p>

<p>.02 and, Go Smith!! David</p>

<p>@Louise – I know 80 people sounds like a big house, but only because Smith’s housing sizes start at around 12. One of the things I liked the most about living in Cutter was that, even though there were a relatively large number of people in the house, it had a “small house” feel. We all knew each other, kept our doors open, many of us ate together regularly, etc. I could name pretty much every person in the house by halfway through the semester. Also, re: the bathrooms, you’ll hardly notice the sharing. I never recall ever waiting for a shower or stall to be open even in the mornings, and the housekeeper keeps the place essentially spotless (Smith has the best dining and housekeeping staff!). Also, there are no boys at Smith to make the bathrooms gross, it’s a built-in plus. </p>

<p>Have fun!</p>

<p>Another Smithie Dad here. Last year, my D had the SMALLEST double in the Quad, four flights up, with a closet good for a flea circus at best, and a bed up against a noisy (and presumably at least marginally safe) steam heat thingy. Almost made us cry that our D’s first experience would be so horrible after such high expectations. “Dorms like palaces”?
Fast forward, she had the time of her life, roomie became a solid good friend, hung out with folks on all floors, apparently “studying” late every Saturday night (‘cause she never answered her cell) …and now would never leave “her” house (ok, but only at graduation and no doubt under protest).<br>
Visiting your new house when practically no one is there is like visiting a stark concert hall BEFORE Springsteen [insert your favorite band] shows up. Its the TALENT that makes for the entertainment… and given that you will soon be surrounded by fellow Smithies’ immense talents, well, you will no doubt have as much (or as little) of the entertainment you want …and as varied as you want to make it. Then, it will be a home, not a house.</p>

<p>Oh, the stairs reminded me: There’s no air conditioning in Smith houses and it’s hot in September. Bring a fan with you when you move in. Also, remember that there is no elevator in Cutter or Ziskind (or indeed in the vast majority of houses), so whatever you bring you have to schlep upstairs. Try to plan your packing accordingly.</p>

<p>My D (a sophomore transfer) is very upset at having just received an e-mail telling her that after (finally, since assignments were expected in June, and 5 e-mails later) getting her housing assignment on Friday, she is being moved. She had been put in a double with an incoming freshman and they want her with an upperclassman. </p>

<p>Which I understand, and of course it makes sense, but she has already communicated with her assigned first roommate (several times), was excited about the house, and really is anxious about the starting over at a new college thing anyway. She appreciates certainty. She is also moving in in 10 days (athletics). They have given her no indication where she is being moved to and when she will find out.</p>

<p>Do you think I should call the housing office? I tend to let her figure stuff out and I do not want to be the pushy parent, but it was a pretty large check i mailed in a couple of weeks ago, and it does seem to be getting a little crazy! I think that some of the communications we have gotten have made me worried that she is being sort of bunched in with incoming freshman as a whole and will find the transfer status a hindrance in her first couple of weeks – just as far as logistics. And this is just another example. </p>

<p>(She is very upset and I fear this will color her start at Smith, especially after coming off a pretty difficult first year at her original college).</p>

<p>Rocky22: I can understand your concern about the disruption in your daughter’s housing situation, especially considering how late things were to begin with. If I were in your shoes I’d probably want to make sure the Res Life staff is aware that she is arriving early for athletics so that she gets some resolution soon. This was certainly an unexpected twist in the process and any parent would be a bit rattled at best.</p>

<p>As for being bunched in with first-years: most (all?) of the housing at Smith is mixed-year, and combined with being a fall athlete that should help your daughter find friends from all four graduation years, including 2015, and once all the other upperclassmen start returning at the beginning of September there will be even more people to meet. My own daughter, also class of 2015, found most of the upperclassmen in her house very welcoming (and not just the HONS and SAAs whose job is to be helpful). Many of her closest friends last year were older students. Hopefully your daughter will find that wherever she ends up living, she will feel welcomed and included from the start.</p>

<p>Best wishes to you and your daughter for a good year ahead–may this be the worst part of her transition and soon a distant memory! And welcome to the Smith class of 2015.</p>

<p>Rocky- I concur with mommycat and call. But also you might want seek out a popular social website with a page for Smith College Parents and Families. You will get a ton of support and information.</p>

<p>Thanks for the responses and support. I am sure it will all work out, but it is unsettling at this late stage (and for this kid in particular – as I said, certainty is her friend, especially after last year). I will call today.</p>

<p>I do know about the mixed classes in each house, which I think is a wonderful idea and I’m sure fosters a real sense of community. The issue with her original assignment seems to have been mixing as far as roommates go. But they have not been at all clear about what that means as far as a house change as well as a room change. My concern about “incoming students” communications is more about logistics of orientation, class registration, etc. I am sure she will make great friends no matter what! Thanks :)</p>

<p>I am a resistant, extremely low-level participant in “that other social media” … I like CC!</p>

<p>oops… and sorry, I realized I put this in the wrong thread; didn’t mean to take over the Ziskind discussion.</p>

<p>When dealing with housing issues, it’s good to remember that “This too shall pass.” Whether it’s your first year room assignment or the very, very stressful yearly ritual known as Room Draw (you have that to look forward to!), it’s never easy when it’s happening. </p>

<p>Rocky, I assume they just made an honest mistake with your D. It is true that even though houses are mixed-year, upperclasswomen do not generally share rooms with first years (I don’t know that they’re actually prohibited from doing so, it just doesn’t usually happen). It’s unfortunate, but on the bright side, she’s already made contact with one of her future schoolmates, so no matter where she lives, she’ll have a built in friend! It’s worth giving the housing office a call, though be prepared to not get very much info back. I remember them not being the most communicative of all of Smith offices. Still, they have a big and thankless job and they do their best. I hope everything works out for your D! I’m sure she’s probably really anxious and frustrated right now, but soon she’ll be happily installed at Smith!</p>

<p>If it helps, I am a firstie who was placed with a transfer student, and it is my understanding (after having a few conversations with res life) that since so many people complained about not wanting to move/liking their roomies/not caring about class gaps, they are rethinking their decision to rearrange. So maybe your daughter won’t have to move. I never even got the email saying I’ll be getting a new, non-transfer roommate; I heard about it from a fellow firstie who was placed with a transfer, as well. As awesome as the house concept is, it makes for a lot of logistical problems. Oh well! Good luck, I hope everything works out for your daughter. :)</p>