Yale Daily News

I was at the Master's Tea as well. The plans look beautiful. I think the most important part of the plan is that KieranTimberlake actually understand Morse and Stiles, how it was intended to function, the beauty of the design, and the importance of Saarinen. They really took a critical look at the colleges, and though I am sad to see some Saarinen touches go, the renovations are really going to improve the overall aesthetic.

I wish this article had captured the excitement of the new work. It's much more than just a renovation, it's a complete addition to an already great complex that will increase not just the functionality but the joy of Morse and Stiles. Having been skeptical of how they would alter the colleges, I now feel excited for the renovations. Hopefully it will open up the eyes of my fellow morsels and future morsels to see how great we have it over here! This article does not at all do the plans justice.

oh, i thought it was "Morsians"
well ya learn something everyday

@2 - Joey, did you go to Yale? Morsels is the single best name for people in a college...

These plans sound extremely impressive! Especially regarding the suite reconfigurations. But I feel a little bad for those who have to live in either Morse or Stiles while the other is being renovated. This is going to be loud.

Morse and Stiles are horrible buildings in every regard. They are poorly built, poorly designed, and ugly as sin. Sinking money into them is like throwing money down a well. Seriously the sophomore suite configurations will not be an improvement AT ALL. I have seen the renovated suite and it gives up the best parts about the colleges (built in desks, walk in closets, singles) and, in return, students get quarters that are still inferior to the other colleges (i.e. weirdly shaped rooms, bizarrely large hallways that waste space and cannot be used for furniture due to fire codes, and a hybrid hall/entryway design that manages to bring out the worst of both). Yale... please stop trying to pretend that you didn't make a mistake with the buildings you built in the 1960s. Saarinen may have been well regarded but, after living in one of his buildings, I'm confident calling him an idiot who pursued form over function at the expense of his clients (i.e. Yale and its students). Buy some dynamite, remove the eyesores, and build a copy of swing space. It will be cheaper, more architecturally appealing, more comfortable, and generate more of a community atmosphere.

All of #4's points are valid concerns and I wholeheartedly agree.

However, as getting ridding of Morse and Stiles is sadly out of the picture, I must commend the architects on the decision to add skylights to Stiles Common Room. However, this feature should be added to other areas of both colleges, such as the Morse Common Room and both dining halls. Adding skylights to these areas would cut down on lighting costs and make the areas more open. It would transform the dungeons that are the Morse and Stiles dining halls into the Hogwarts dining hall, with a view of the sky above. If we're forced to live in a concrete dungeon, it would be nice to have a few areas of the college that are open and nice to look at. Everyone loves skylights.

I completely agree with the previous poster. Morse is a horrible place to live. Thats what happen when you build something entirely out of concrete - you can't really change it. The worst aspect of Morse is arguably its windows, which manage to allow light in a few hours a day the entire year. knock these buildings down! I have met people who did not come to Yale because of them! They are an objectively worst living environment compared to other colleges in every respect, and something must be done. Why is this not an option: they are parking garages!!

@3- I think "Saybrugians" is slightly better than "Morsels." But not by a lot :)

If only the Promoters of Star-architects for the new colleges and other buildings would actually pay attention to the above comments.... Student Opinion in the late 1950's demanded singles. Student Opinion today demands the opposite. Unfortunately the concrete was poured for singles, so I fear no renovation will be all that successful. Why couldn't Morse & Stiles be converted to much-needed graduate housing where singles are highly prized, if not absolutely necessary?

agree with #4.

We came to Yale to get and education, not live in a palace. I mean really this is so annoying that people care this much. I can name hundreds of people who would live in barracks or tents in order to attend Yale and we complain about living in a modern looking dormitory for 3 years? Really now, after you leave Yale will it really matter if you lived in Stiles or Morse or will your diploma be what is really important?

Once again proving that Yale student are the most spoiled students in the entire world! Morse and Stiles only seem like dungeons when everyone insists on comparing reality to Harry Potter. Get a life and a clue.

When I got that letter so many years ago saying that I had been sorted into Pierson, I just remember being really relieved that I hadn't been assigned to Morse or Stiles - I would have been happy with any other college. It's not that they're horrible places to live, it's that they just don't live up to the standards set by the rest of Yale. It shouldn't be that way, and the difference should be acknowledged and made up for in some way. This renovation is the perfect opportunity, but Yale could give special privileges as well (superior food in the dining hall, special trips, better furniture, air conditioning; something).

I had many friends in Morse and Stiles who loved their years at Yale, and in the end we all get to go to this fantastic school. I just think a little more work could go into making the colleges more equal (this goes for the benefits from their endowments as well).

#12: I believe you perfectly expounded upon my original point. It's absolutely true that Morse and Stiles are much better than many state schools and, in complaining, I suppose I could be considered spoiled. I am not comparing them to a state school however. Instead, I am comparing Morse and Stiles, which were built as budget colleges at a total of $6 million to colleges such as Silliman who's renovation alone cost $100 million. What about the numerous grants and perks offered by most of the other 11 colleges from their endowments (for employment, projects, etc.)? The fact is we all see the same sticker price for attending to Yale and our residential experiences and summer opportunities should reflect that. I would have thought that a school with such egalitarian views as Yale would institute them internally first where they are most capable of doing so.

@11

The point is not that Morse and Stiles are better than *some* dorms are other colleges. (Some, on the other hand, are much better, even at underfunded state schools.) The point is that Yale, in part, is based on its architectural luster. These two parking-garage monstrosities next to the gym diminish significantly from that, and it costs Yale students and reputation.

It is not out of the ordinary in Yale's history to tear down buildings. Osbourne Hall, a large opulent building (there is a model in Sterling near the side entrance) that stood on current cite of Bingham, was torn down after about 30 years of use because it did not suit Yale's aesthetic. Yale - do not invest, rebuild (in the style of HGS, for instance).!