Memorial Hall East—affectionately known as Mem East—is easy to overlook. The rooms are smaller, the walls are older, and sound resistance? Not great. You’ll hear laughter from the upstairs bathroom, late-night FaceTimes, and the occasional hair dryer at 7 a.m.—because apparently, Mem East never sleeps (or at least never stops getting ready). At first, it might not stand out, but once you step inside, it’s clear: It’s more than just a place to sleep; it becomes home.
If Wold is all about helping freshmen bond, with handpicked proctors and planned unity, Mem East is where individuality takes the lead. There’s no “type” of person who lives here. Everyone is different, and somehow, it just works. “I would describe my personality as very loud and outgoing,” says River Grady, a sophomore. “I talk to pretty much everybody in the dorm… whether it’s my best friends or people that I don’t know well.”
That kind of openness blends effortlessly with quieter personalities. Proctor Ashley Zhang sees her own calm demeanor as a strength: “I feel like I’m more attentive, on the quieter side,” she said. “Being an introvert myself, I’m able to connect and know how to connect with introverts.”
Sophomore Addie Eakin describes herself as “very, very inclusive and bubbly,” someone who loves being around people but also values quiet time. “Sometimes it can be hard to be by yourself, especially because the rooms are a lot smaller and you’re always with people,” she said. “But I think that’s kind of everywhere on campus… what’s nice is being able to go to the library or Tandem in so little time.” For Addie, the social side of Mem—Spikeball on the lawn, Mario Kart on the weekends, or movie nights in the common room—helps build that sense of home.
Sarah Lucas, another sophomore, feels her high-energy, extroverted personality is right at home in the dorm. “We’re all very talkative, playful, and fun. We just bounce off each other,” she said. “I feel like it’s because we’re all different, everyone has different backgrounds and perspectives.”
We’ve got the quiet, book-loving artists, the athletic hockey girls, and the people who never stop laughing. We’ve got loud late-night conversations, early morning check-ins, and dorm parents who are just as unique as we are—each one bringing their own warmth, quirks, and routines to the space. There’s no single mold for who ends up here; and somehow, all those differences make the dorm feel more like a living, breathing community.
The dorm parents are a huge part of this setting. “I think some of my favorite nights are when Jroh and Miss Staples are on duty,” River said. “It’s always really fun and social, but they’re also very good about rules and making sure our phones are in the bin.” Ashley agrees, saying, “Staples… she’s really creative and always gives so much attention to everyone equally… and Jroh definitely brings everyone together. She’s so funny. On some level, she’s more like a friend to us.”
Addie notes the little things that make each dorm parent special. “Staples is always knitting or doing something artistic. TF brings a vibe where you can just hang out and talk about college or sports. Miss M has her kids around, and that adds so much personality.” She adds, “I really love Miss Greener too—she brings up memories from her old Williston days or helps manage your schedule.”
Sarah appreciates how approachable all the dorm parents are: “They’re all great at being authority figures but also just people we can go to… like real parent-type figures. I feel like we can talk to them about work, or about things we’re struggling with.”
The proctors, too, shape the dynamic. Addie reflects on the range of personalities: “Grace
[McCullagh] is super funny, Rinka [Okuno] was more serious and helpful with homework, Maya [Vulakh]’s younger but always a great friend and mentor, and Ashley—she’s always like, ‘Hey girl, how are you?’ even outside the dorm. They’ve all been great role models.”
Sophomore Anna Sterrett adds, “It’s one of those places where even if you’re having the worst day, someone’s going to pull you into the common room and make you smile.” Her roommate, Riley Stocker, agrees: “There’s this sense that no one’s ever really alone. Even if you’re quiet or new, someone will talk to you, invite you to a movie night, or just sit with you while you work.”
There’s something about Mem East that’s hard to explain unless you’ve lived here. Maybe it’s the way we gather in the common room without planning to, or how everyone has a “door open” kind of vibe. Maybe it’s how, even when we can hear every step someone takes upstairs, we still feel lucky to live with people who truly care about one another.
And yes, there are quirks that only Mem residents understand. “Something unique about the dorm is the fire alarm incidents,” River laughs. “They’re super sensitive and in literally every single room… it usually 90% of the time has to do with one of us doing our hair.”
Addie offered another: “You can’t beat Bananagrams at 11 p.m. with half the dorm crammed into the common room.”
When the seniors left, I didn’t expect it to feel so heavy. But their absence made the halls feel different. They had this quiet, grounding presence—though sometimes maybe a little too loud. I caught myself knocking on a door out of habit, half-joking like someone was still inside. That’s when I saw a handwritten letter taped to the wood. Reading her note, full of memories, advice, and love, made it clear just how much this dorm meant to her—and how much she meant to us.
Ashley, who’s lived in Mem East for two years, summed it up perfectly.
“Each year it’s different, and I feel it’s because of the people. Everyone brings a different energy”, she says.
Mem East isn’t about prestige. It’s not shiny or new. But it’s full of heart, full of character, and full of people who make it feel like a second home. Every broken shower-head, every odd corner of the hallway, every late-night laugh—it all adds up to something we’ll carry with us long after we’ve moved out.
