In the fall of 1986, Bruce Sacerdote '90, now an associate professor of economics at Dartmouth, met his first-year roommate, Henry Todd Jr. '90. They lived in the River Cluster and, despite the fact that Todd took different courses, had different interests, and now lives in France, the two still stay in touch. It's a testament to the power of proximity when forming friendships. "Geography matters," says Sacerdote.
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Over the past few years, Sacerdote has analyzed how students interact with each other. He's tracked the BlitzMail (Dartmouth's email system) patterns of about 1,000 students to see who they talked with and how often. This group of '03s to '06s agreed to be in the study (the content of their messages was not revealed), and their participation yielded volumes of data on their social and academic interactions.
"Residence hall assignments have a tremendous impact on whom you contact," says Sacerdote. "You're fourteen times more likely to talk to your roommate over Blitz, and the volume is four times higher between people in the same dorm."
Sacerdote explains these data help social scientists understand what drives human interactions. "I think students' lives can be changed by their peers. Being put together with random people in residence halls leads to all sorts of new experiences. Students tend to gather in the common areas of the residences for programs and events, and they also might join clubs or participate in the same campus organizations that others in their dorm are involved in. They might even make career choices based on late-night discussions or chance meetings with the parents of their friends."
He also documents the variety of the interaction, noting communication between genders, class years, and races. "Students really mixed with their classmates and their professors."
Sacerdote thinks the most surprising outcome of his study, though, is the overwhelming importance geography plays in forming relationships.
Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman also understands the impact of a student's living environment. "We try to match roommates with similar habits, such as how late they like to stay up or how neat they think they are. But we don't ask questions about interests. Instead, we strive to create a floor composed of individuals from a variety of backgrounds and personality types. Part of the residential experience is for students to meet and learn from people different from themselves."
Redman's office also facilitates staffing and programming in the residence halls. He says he enjoys meeting and getting to know so many students. "Working with a group of 120 UGAs [undergraduate advisors] who live in the residence halls, and watching them support their peers on a daily basis, is truly amazing. The energy and skills the UGAs bring to helping their residents is reflected by their own personal growth. Being a part of this process is what I consider to be the best part of my job."
The UGAs work with other residential education program staff to organize events, lectures, and social gatherings. These professionals are also on hand just to chat, help students transition to college life, or discuss the merits of the latest George Clooney movie. The design of the residence halls facilitates spontaneous conversations as well as planned events.
"Having a devoted space for social gatherings is vital in residence halls," says Redman. "We are committed to creating ways for students to meet together and learn from each other."
Sacerdote's research on human interactions and Redman's twenty-eight years of experience in residential life point to the value of living closely with peers while an undergraduate. They both assert that the friendships formed during these years often last a lifetime.
By SUSAN KNAPP
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