By Yechiel Amar, Staff Writer
“Ugh. Sorry about that.”
This is a typical response one can expect when telling someone who attends or has attended Yeshiva University that they live in Muss Hall. For a long time, the primary reason for this reaction was Muss Hall’s lack of air conditioning for individual rooms, an issue that was fixed last year. Yet in spite of that, Muss still maintains a negative reputation among the YU Wilf campus populace, with Morgenstern Hall and Rubin Hall (the dorms for first time on campus students) standing as the preferred dorms, even though a double room in either costs $1,500 more than a double in Muss.
As someone is currently living in Muss for my fourth semester, I will attempt to zero in on these reasons and explain how they can be addressed effectively by Wilf Resident Life.
The greatest issue contributing to this reputation can be defined in one word: accessibility. Muss is farthest from the main buildings on campus, most notably Furst Hall, Glueck Beit Midrash, Belfer Hall and Rubin Hall (which houses the Caf). These buildings, where most Wilf students attend classes, shiurim and get food, are all located between 185th and 183rd. In contrast, Muss Hall’s main entrance is on 187th – closer to Audubon Avenue than Amsterdam where the aforementioned buildings are situated.
Although this is a small inconvenience relative to other colleges, or even the walk on Beren between Brookdale Hall and the academic buildings on Lexington Avenue, it is nonetheless reason enough for many to choose a different dorm preference. Additionally, Muss Hall lacks an elevator which the other two dormitories have. I’ve lived on both the 5th and 4th floors of Muss and can attest that schlepping either luggage or laundry up and down those flights of stairs can get pretty exhausting.
There is a caveat to this predicament: Muss is connected to the Zysman hall, which houses a beit midrash and YU’s High School for Boys (MTA). If you are in a shiur that learns in that beit midrash, living in Muss is very convenient. Zysman also has an elevator up to the fourth floor, from which a crossover to Muss is accessible. Solves that problem right?
Not exactly. For starters, the Zysman elevator is currently out of order, and has been for months now. One can hope that it will be fixed soon, as lacking it will make summer move-out quite difficult, but then again, we all know about YU’s track record when it comes to fixing elevators. Not to mention that even when the elevator was working, the MTA entrance and elevator is only accessible while the building is open, so during Fridays, Saturdays and the latter halves of Sundays you’re stuck taking the stairs; another disadvantage for those who go away for Shabbos with luggage.
Another recent issue is one that other dorms have been experiencing, but is particularly disadvantageous in Muss; YU has increased the security measures in the dorms, adding additional YUID swipe locked doors after which you must once again swipe by the security card reader. In Morgenstern Hall, you have to swipe for the door, swipe at the desk, and then swipe again to go either into the dorm area or the Sepahrdic beit midrash. Whether such extensive measures are necessary is not for me to comment on, but it is no doubt an added inconvenience for many students.
Muss, while lacking such swipe activated doors, has felt this security increase in its own special way. Last year you would just swipe, go up the few stairs, open the door, and you’re in the building. This year it was decided that for the most part the door would be kept locked, meaning that to get in you swipe your card and then wait for the security guard to register that you swiped, get his keys, come out of his booth, go up the stairs and unlock the door. Unlike the other dorms, if the guard left the booth for some reason, you’re stuck outside waiting for them to return. Or someone on the other side can open the door for you, which really defeats the whole purpose of the system anyways.
I’m not saying this to denigrate YU security, I am simply pointing out how much of an inconvenience this is for both the students and the guard who must constantly make trips to the door. If YU isn’t willing to upgrade the door into a swipe lock, than another system should be devised, because right now it’s worse for everyone involved.
In regard to other areas of dorm life such as the rooms and facilities, I can assert that contrary to public belief, there is no real difference. Despite being located in a century-old building, the actual living spaces operate just as well as the others, if not more so in some areas. It is only in the arena of accessibility in the areas mentioned above that one really feels the lack of convenience that an extra $1,500 buys. I know some asks are unrealistic; there will likely never be an elevator in Muss itself. But as for the structures that already exist, there is a lot that can and should be done
So to Wilf Resident Life let me say this: My name is Yechiel Amar and, though it may be shocking to hear, I am a proud resident of Muss Hall. And I believe that despite the odds, Muss can be made great again.
Photo Caption: Muss Hall
Photo Credit: Yechezkal Freundlich