Cockroach Karma

This, of course, means that we have to decide which freshman dorms on campus are “the worst.” If we consider all of the general lore regarding this housing, I believe that the worst two dorm complexes are GGV and Botetourt. Botetourt because it’s miles away from literally everything, and GGV because it is A) the old frat housing and B) it is infested with both bugs and mold.

It’s time for a disclaimer. I have the distinct pleasure of being a resident of Lion K, and for the most part I’ve enjoyed my time here, but the only reason I’m in this dorm is because I had one of the last selection slots during the summer, and while the people here are good, I do have certain experiences that I believe should qualify me and my fellow residents for housing that is as upgraded as possible next semester. The instance that specifically comes to mind occurred on my second day here when I was sitting in my desk chair and felt a strange sensation on my arm.

I thought it was just a hair, so I brushed it away, but all the sensation did was move, so I looked onto my arm to see a giant cockroach sitting on my shoulder. I feel like that experience alone should qualify me for monetary reimbursement, or at the very least free therapy. Not to mention the amount of times our laundry machines have broken or the strange things in our ceiling — although I’m still afraid to check mine. There is also now the brand new problem of ants, which colonized my room over winter break and don’t seem to want to go away.

As proud proponents of an incredibly storied stress culture, we, the students of the College of William and Mary, have returned from a calm and relaxing winter break — hopefully — and immediately found new things to stress out about. For those rising sophomores — such as myself — that has by and large been the crisis that is selecting housing for next year. Whether that crisis is, “Oh my god, I still don’t have a roommate” or the extremely oft-used, “If I get Richmond Hall I’m transferring,” or even the, “Wait, we have to select housing now?” we’ve all picked something to stress about since the housing contract went live on Jan. 30. For me personally, I have picked the, “What time is my housing selection going to be?” This is by far the most pivotal, and least controllable, aspect of the housing selection for next year because it’s a random assignment. Never fear, I have a solution.

Now, keep in mind that this solution is completely theoretical, and most likely will never be put into use, since it might not be considered “fair,” but to my mind nothing could be more fair. The solution is this: those poor freshmen who were saddled with the worst dorms on campus get the first selection slots for choosing sophomore housing.

always speak or answer to issues that I had no personal experiences in. And I consider that a good thing. I am not Black. In case it has not been made abundantly clear, I am Asian. Though we have some shared experiences, I will never understand the racial issues that Black people face. This is why I (despite loving the sound of my own voice) made a conscious effort to not talk nearly as much as I did in my other classes. And I learned so much more because of it. Though marginalized people can understand each other on the basis of suffering under racism, the experiences of people of color are not universal. Ethnic studies classes are not just a place of education, they are a space of acknowledgment for that marginalized group. So, other marginalized people should take similar advice: give space to those directly affected by the class content.

As for the people that these classes are focused on, I encourage you to take up that space. These classes have been fought for and painstakingly carved out for you; stand up and take up your space. I understand the system has pushed us into the margins and it is easy to just fade into the background. But we have a part to play in this as well. This is a rare instance where the ethos lies not within whiteness, but within the experiences of marginalized people. Your insight is invaluable because it is backed up by real-life experiences. We can’t fault the white students for taking up space if we refuse to accept that space. If there is a long moment in a discussion where nobody raises their hand or offers a comment, how can we be upset at the white students who just want this awkward silence to be over?

This is not to say that GGV is unquestionably the worst dorm on campus, but whenever I say that I lived in GGV, I always get a sympathetic wince, which I feel is representative of something.

Maybe it’s not the most important thing in the world that GGV picks first, but I definitely think that there are certain dorms that should pick last. Lemon is the one that springs most obviously to mind, and any dorm that has AC, since my dorm room is always just a little too warm even right now in February.

There aren’t many things in this world that can be easily balanced, but I think it would be fairly simple to balance the karma of those students who have been unfortunate enough to be stuck in dorms that — good as the people might be — are nothing but one pain after another. We collected the good karma of making the best out of our freshman housing situation, I just think it would be nice to cash it in.

Mollie Shiflett ’26 is an undecided major who will probably end up majoring in History. She plays on the Gold Women’s Club Soccer team for the College of William and Mary and is an avid fan of most sports, except golf. Email Mollie at mrshiflett@wm.edu.

The crux of my point boils down to this: if you are discussing a societal issue that does not affect you, consider listening to the people that it does affect before voicing your opinion. Listen to listen, not to respond. Make active choices that give space to the marginalized voices. And if you are those marginalized voices, take that space; it is yours.

CrystalWang’25isanEnglishMajorandintended History major. In addition to being Copy Chief for the Flat Hat, she writes for the DoGStreet Journal and is a member of The Gallery and William & Mary Review. Email Crystal at cwang28@wm.edu