I definitely am looking for a coed dorm, and I want a mainstream floor too. From what you and others have said, it seems like the coed/mainstream floors are the middle ground between the passed out drunk and the study all day kids.
I had no idea about any of the NTID stuff until very recently, but a mainstream floor seems like the most natural living arrangement.
Did you do any clubs or organizations?
Not formally, I did however informally hangout in the SSE (the society of software engineers) and ended up pretty close with that crew.
I lived in a co-ed non-mainstream dorm in 2012-2013 (NRH2). I highly recommend it, especially if you’re shy or socially anxious or weird around girls; living on a more social floor will force you to learn quick. I was definitely all three going in, but much less so coming out. And I made a bunch of friends, including a few I still talk to. Just be ready to be around a lot of drama and bullshit.
I thought Computer Science House seemed cool, but I didn’t interact with them a lot and I’ve heard some vague but unsavory rumors so you’re better of asking someone who goes there right now. Engineering House was full of douchebags as far as I could tell. All I know know about Photo House is a bunch of jokes(?) about them always fucking in the lounges. I’ve heard HoGS is kinda cool but they’re not very visible.
The RIT subreddit is pretty active so you can ask questions there too, especially about clubs.
Before I went to RIT and was still applying, CSH seemed like the coolest shit. For 18 year-old Scott, it seemed like the greatest place to live, on paper at least. All I knew about it was what I read in the brochure, and it was fucking awesome. Once I actually got to RIT I had an incident with them, and I realized it was bad news.
This is how I recall it in my not so good memory. For a very brief time I was sour that I didn’t get to live there. I made some attempt to interact with them and join in on the CSH fun despite not getting to live there. There was technically some kind of way to be a member without living there. Anyway, whoever I met first gave off a big time exclusive club, secret society, you don’t belong here vibe. I remember I tried to go visit them and someone said something like “Who are you? What are you doing here? Get out!” Also I think their floor had extra security other floors didn’t have? I left, and I commented on a web site about it. I think it was the school newspaper’s site?
The main thing I was upset about was that it seemed like they had this lab full of awesome computers and such. I could see it through the windows. Being naive and not knowing much, but also being a nerd, I actually wanted access to their tech more than I wanted to be their friends. I think the comment I made was something along the lines of “My tuition money goes towards paying for these resources that are only available to these few exclusive students? WTF?”
After that I think something happened, and they contacted me to give me a tour of their floor and try to make nice. On that tour I realized I wasn’t missing out on anything. Their private computer lab did not have amazing computers in it. I don’t even think they used those computers except for when they didn’t want to use their own computers for something. They also had a server room, which they showed me. It looked impressive at the time with racks full of machines and lots of air conditioning. But those servers didn’t actually provide any useful services I couldn’t get from the CS department or elsewhere.
The lesson I learned was that the people of CSH weren’t that great (in the year 2000). And that I was mad I was being denied something, but that something was only in my imagination. The thing I was actually denied was something I didn’t want at all. After that, I lost all desire to interact with CSH in any way.
Also, the thing they bragged about so much (on paper) was the robot that would deliver to your dorm room from the vending machine. Apparently the thing didn’t fucking work, because the student who made it left and nobody maintained it.
After that I only heard from CSH three more times in my entire time at RIT.
-
The time we “stole” their pirate flag. That was a fun day.
-
The creator of JQuery was a member of CSH. He was the only person on CSH I ever saw do anything of value. Most notably he made software to make class registration so much better, and everyone used it. He seemed like a not bad, but very computer nerdy guy. I saw him a bunch then. I think we were in some of the same classes, and often at the same extracurricular tech-related meetings and such. He was smarter than me, and worked harder. Also, he spent his time coding while I played Tribes 2 and watched anime, so… we didn’t even become acquaintances let alone friends.
-
I was in a a computer graphics class. I think it was CG2. After class I was up at the front talking to the professor. Some guy I didn’t know, had never seen, and never saw again, looks at me and makes some vaguely threatening remarks. Something like “I know you. You’re Scott Rubin. You made a lot of trouble for us at CSH. Grrrr.” This was my senior or junior year. The incident I mentioned above was 3 or 4 years in the past already. I can’t imagine he was talking about anything else. If there were any tiny shreds of me that still wished I had been in CSH, they were waaaay long gone.
Still, would be interested to know if they are different. It was over a decade ago. I’m sure it’s completely different now. The kids in college now were in elementary school when we were in college.
-
I hung out there a bit for the first weekend before classes started. They were pretty cool and even made a trip to Target when I said I needed to grab some stuff, but this was while they were taking applications for off-floor members so they may have been acting extra nice.
-
I don’t know about a computer lab, but they have a lab for circuitry and light mechanical work. I can’t speak to the quality though. They did let me use it once when I asked, probably after everyone had forgotten who I was.
-
They still bragged about that same fucking robot. I don’t know whether it was functional.
-
I guy I didn’t like in my physics class left or was kicked out because they were forcing him to be social. I gave them points for this one.
-
They had proper lounges while the ones on my floor had been converted to quads, so I will forever be jealous.
-
They still make the only good schedule maker.
Looking back, the “secret club” vibe probably still applied, I just formed an opinion of them while they were being friendly then stopped interacting with them.
I love r/RIT!
I applied to eHouse, but never got a reply 
. I also heard some crazy things about CSH.
I ended up in a coed dorm, and I’m excited.
I have heard a lot of people on r/RIT talking about CSH in a similar way in the past few months. It seems like a weird circle- jerky club, and I didn’t particularly want to be involved.
These stories made me feel even better about my decision.
So, I got my dorm last night. I’m in Gibson B, on the second floor. It’s a coed floor, but not mainstream unfortunately.
I’m pretty excited, thanks for all the help guys!
A low floor is great, way less of a hassle moving in, and taking the stairs is actually an option.
Hello! I’m Evan, and I’m definitely new here. Most people know me as a goofy, slouching, tinkering nerd rapper black belt philosopher-wannabe gamer person. I’m here for the hyper-specific podcast episodes, hot takes, and tasty nerd tangents. My dog’s name is Ducky and I live in Boston. Hi @Deadname.
3 Likes
Were you one of the guys we played Languini with one Anime Boston?
No, Evan was actually on the old Forum long ago, tho I don’t remember any of the handles he used.
Total aside: the guy who turned every word in Languini into a drug turned into a Nazi and had to flee to Thailand where they mostly don’t know about the Holocaust anyway.
Are those two causally related, or just two odd events in the life of a strange and apparently terrible person?
They’re directly related. He couldn’t get work after he appeared in a VICE documentary about Charlottesville.
Hi I’m Corey, a 28 year old dork with a neuromuscular disease called Friedreich’s Ataxia. So I spend a lot of time on pretty typical geek hobbies and figured joining the forum would be a good idea. I mostly listened to Geeknights all throughout high school, but have never been much of a forum person. I don’t know how much I’ll post, but we’ll see.
2 Likes
Hi Corey, I’m Dave also 28.
I only really started geeknights like… after college. Been a few years now. I think I was at an Anime Boston and saw the title judge anime by its cover and thought that was a awesome panel and I wanted to go to it but when I got there it was full and so I just watched it on youtube later and realized the hosts also went to RIT and then became a fan of the podcast from there.
I didn’t post much for the first long while, I was too scared of pissing anyone off, I later learned that unless you’re a gamergater, the people here don’t bite and are actually pretty awesome. Hope you have as positive an experience as I did.
Great to have ya! 
2 Likes
Thanks Dave!
No one has to worry about me though I think, I despise Gamergate and was relieved when rediscovering the podcast that Rym and Scott didn’t hop on the MAGA train. Not that they ever seemed like the types, but after a hiatus of podcast listening, it was a coin flip of whether hosts went one way or another over the years.
Hello.
My name is Justin, but you can call me Jae is it’s easier. I’ve followed Geeknights from about 2010 and have been a pretty big fan (even if I do feel Rym and Scott come on too strong sometimes). Anyway, I recently decided to become a semi-active participant of the forums, and have recently started attempting to learn IT stuff, so this show’s actually been pretty helpful reinforcing those things in some more simplistic ways rather than dry textbooks.
Thanks guys, looking forward to meeting folks.
2 Likes
We’re here and we’re LOUD
1 Like