Common spaces in Hopkins housing need to be reimagined

As the freshman class spent Spring Break worrying about what options their housing time slot would permit them, the question of which building is preferable seemed to be at the top of everyone’s mind. The answer is a foregone conclusion for some. Many swear by the newness of the now five-years-old Charles Commons. Some will fight tooth and nail for an apartment unit that allows them to forego a meal plan. Yet others are already assured of their accommodation, having selected the healthy living, substance-free community of Rogers House. As seems to be convention, McCoy remains forgotten, unloved and feared.

Asking which building is preferable isn’t the right question. Instead, we should think broadly about the role of community. The residential system was created and continues to this day to be a platform for student interaction and engagement. Residential halls are the enablers of relations. On this measure, the large but cold and characterless common spaces in Charles Commons seem to fall far short in contrast to the vibrant and warm common rooms in McCoy that seem to be filled with more laughter. What exactly should we expect and demand from our buildings and communities?

Common spaces facilitate the process of community building. Small alterations can be made to existing spaces to maximize their utility. The common rooms on the Charles Tower side of Charles Commons are huge in relation to the number of residents they serve. However, the six couches, two tables and eight chairs are often empty since residents don’t find them useful — many of these resources are already found in suites or rooms. No wonder the common spaces are always empty.

Yet there is much potential to creatively configure this space in a different way. Imagine if we converted every other Charles Tower common room into a collaborative learning space with movable furniture à la Brody, with whiteboard walls and group workstations. Such a setup will allow residents with similar academic interests to converge around common education goals (and less loftily but still in the same spirit, finishing that week’s assignments) and include students from other communities. Natural leaders may emerge within the community and help guide others toward greater understanding.

By providing opportunities to identify common interests, we not only strengthen educational outcomes by promoting collaboration but also strengthen the relations between individuals and the community as a whole, providing students a more robust support network.

Also imagine that the remaining common rooms in the Charles Tower are converted into social spaces with beanbags, projectors and dining tables. These resources will empower residents to take a study break by watching a movie or even have a community potluck. Existing programs like movie nights or study breaks can further leverage these new spaces and better connect to residents’ needs.

Even if students desire them, the existing structure of common spaces hinders planning for such social activities to the point that it is difficult to make arrangements for everyone to go down to the common kitchen or book a theater in a different building.

Common rooms that are ghost towns are not helpful to anyone and reflect a wasteful use of space. Opportunities to converge and build community are precious and must be cherished. Another possibility may well be to imagine individual suite spaces as an extension of the common spaces. If residents are able to prop open their doors, others in the community will be able to meet and interact with them in their own spaces.

While security might be a concern, this speaks to larger themes of community trust and respect that we shouldn‘t be afraid to engage with. After all, with every resident in Charles Commons living in a single, why is there the arbitrary line between individual and the community at the suite door rather than at the room door?

Freshmen who eventually choose to live in Charles Commons should embrace the challenge to re-imagine their common spaces and to advocate for improvements which will benefit the student and residential experience. Residents deserve at least social and study spaces. If nothing is done about common spaces, for the sake of community, freshmen should really just pick McCoy.

Tommy Koh is a sophomore psychology and political science double major from Singapore.