September 25, 2003

All-freshmen residence halls debut

By Katharine Duke

For the first time in decades, Northwestern freshmen are living in all-freshmen residence halls.

This fall 600 Lincoln and Hinman House (610 Lincoln) became all-freshmen residence halls.

Until this year, Northwestern undergraduate students lived in “mixed residence halls” where freshmen lived with upperclassmen.

Opening an all-freshman residence hall is something the University has been thinking about for the last several years, said Mark D’Arienzo, associate director of university housing.

“Someone asked the question, why we don’t have freshmen residence halls, and the answer that kept coming up was, this is the way we’ve always done it,” explained D’Arienzo. “Anytime you have the answer, this is the way it’s always been done, you need to re-examine things.”

The University decided to study the issue and convert 600 Lincoln and Hinman House into all-freshmen residence halls housing about 86 freshmen. “We’re excited about the program,” D’Arienzo said. “It will allow us to do some targeted programming and community building among freshmen.”

If the pilot program is successful, D’Arienzo said, the University will consider expanding the program.