[2006alum]

I don't see how that is "objectionable" at all. After freshman year, that is exactly what people do. However, if the University has a policy that you can't do that Freshman year, that policy should apply to all students. Making exceptions is what I would find objectionable. There is a lot to be said for a policy of letting Housing choose your freshman roommate. However, I don't see any particular moral superiority of that method over lots of other approaches.

I think the grounds for objection stem from the fact that frosh could self-select on the basis of prejudice or privilege ("of prejudice or privilege" - sounds like the Jane Austen novel for the 21st century). Part of the point of a liberal arts education, and a core value for Stanford's undergraduate experience, is to swim in unexplored waters, and residential education (yes, they call it "residential education" rather than "housing") is very much part of that experience. It's the same reason why freshmen are required to live on campus and can't have a car - there's intrinsic value in being exposed to experiences not of your choosing. Maybe I'm an indoctrinated partisan since I was an RA in a freshman dorm, but I'm a really big believer in the value of having frosh show up on day one and not have much control over their first few weeks on campus.

[2006alum]

I don't see how that is "objectionable" at all. After freshman year, that is exactly what people do. However, if the University has a policy that you can't do that Freshman year, that policy should apply to all students. Making exceptions is what I would find objectionable. There is a lot to be said for a policy of letting Housing choose your freshman roommate. However, I don't see any particular moral superiority of that method over lots of other approaches.

I think the grounds for objection stem from the fact that frosh could self-select on the basis of prejudice or privilege ("of prejudice or privilege" - sounds like the Jane Austen novel for the 21st century). Part of the point of a liberal arts education, and a core value for Stanford's undergraduate experience, is to swim in unexplored waters, and residential education (yes, they call it "residential education" rather than "housing") is very much part of that experience. It's the same reason why freshmen are required to live on campus and can't have a car - there's intrinsic value in being exposed to experiences not of your choosing. Maybe I'm an indoctrinated partisan since I was an RA in a freshman dorm, but I'm a really big believer in the value of having frosh show up on day one and not have much control over their first few weeks on campus.