Limber up and flex your inner selfish tendencies because it’s that time of year when all you can do is look out for number one. It’s the housing lottery and we asked our first year writers to react to their first experience involving this animalistic, bureaucratic ritual. Continue reading
The Housing Lottery has been the talk of the town for the last few weeks. An all-out bloodbath in the name of getting a south campus single, or an NCA with your friends, or even just a single in Mather, as long as you aren’t on the first floor. While I am a first year and had my rooming situation in place previously (thank you, sweet, sweet Zeta division housing), I am trying to feel empathic for those who have no options but to buddy up to a roommate-less friend of a friend in hopes of not getting the absolute worst possible option.
You probably saw a Thrill post a couple weeks ago about the two people with best and worst lottery numbers meeting and having a polite but ultimately sad conversation in Peirce. Remember how bad you felt for #1335? You’re about to get a whole lot sadder!
Abigail Saltzman ’20 and Cat Smith ’20 are currently roommates in Norton, and have been planning to live together as sophomores for quite a while. They had reasonable aspirations, or so they thought. Having enjoyed the all-female Norton this year, they were hoping for a spot in Bushnell, a typically sophomore dorm with a similar atmosphere.
What ended up happening was worse than they could have ever imagined. Cat and Abigail were the second to last pair of roommates to pick their housing in the entire school. Luckily, they lived to tell the tale.
It’s an overcast cloudy day in Peirce. I’m eagerly sitting at a table by the window overlooking the long hill down to the KAC, anticipating this upcoming interview. Two minutes pass after 4:30, the agreed upon interview time. After sending out several student-info emails, desperate posts in the Kenyon Class of 2020 and 2019 pages, and cries of despair into the night, I have finally found the person with the best and (almost) worst lottery number.
A disclaimer: I did not find the first year with the worst lottery number. Either they were too embarrassed to reveal themselves or they do not check their email/FB. Nevertheless, I did find the first year with the third to last number, Cameron Austin ’20. He sent me a very sad email:
via kenyon.edu
This post was guest-authored by Katherine Connolly ’17.
May this article provide hope for those who feel hopeless. Also, if you want to talk/rant about housing/stress to someone, I’m a PC—my number is all around campus and on our Facebook page. —Katherine Connolly
I’ve decided that absolutely no one likes the time leading up to the housing lottery. No matter the number, no matter the situation— it’s always stressful until it’s over. There’s an element of uncertainty that just can’t be vanquished until the deed is done.
But once it’s over, if you’ve gotten exactly what you wanted—everything is fine. But if you haven’t—you’re left with this feeling of disappointment and maybe even dread.
If you’re in the latter category, this article’s for you. I want to share my story of the housing lottery, not because I am some kind of Success, or because I think that It Happened To Me, so It’ll Happen To You. Everybody’s different. Not every cloud has a silver lining all the time.
I’m just here to tell you that it might.
The Kenyon Thrill 