Word: groupe
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...blocking group size inappropriately decreases students' control over how they want to live in a system which has already deprived students of much choice...
Some may ask, why can't we decide how many people we want to block with ourselves? The answer is simple: If they are not compelled otherwise, students will too often chose the easier option of a larger group. And that's not what's best for undergraduate life...
There are good reasons to believe that 16-person blocking groups are not so damaging to House community. If students wanted to meet new people and felt that a 16-person blocking group would preclude them from doing so, they would not fill the blocking group; students have just as much interest in House community as masters or administrators...
Furthermore, numbers don't determine social interactions: People who want to be insular can be just as insular in a group of eight or 16, and those who want to meet new friends in their houses won't be prevented by a few extra blockmates. Large blocking groups might even improve House community and facilitate new friendships since students are more likely to attend House events with a group of friends...
There is also good reason to think that eight is a bad size for a blocking group. There are suites of more than eight people in many houses. Some students do in fact have close friendship groups of more than eight people, and the lower limit would make the blocking process even more difficult for first-years. Such a low limit also makes it more difficult for mixed-gender blocking groups, which must already divide up into rooming groups...