Those who have gone through the process say that the only good tactic is to be straightforward in approaching people.

"There's no easy way of telling someone," Grays proctor Ted D. Miller says. "But honesty is the most important thing."

Building Blocks

Although there is no simple procedure for forming a blocking group, some methods are better than others.

Two years ago a group of first years decided that the best way to decide blocking groups was to follow an elaborate voting procedure using a secret ballot.

The system, which strived to eliminate open confrontation over blocking, instead caused confusion over the outcome. Students involved didn't know why they hadn't made the cut into the group.

Miller stresses that it is necessary to be open and clear about why rooming choices occur.

"Often times you may not want to live with your best friend," he argues. The fact that rooming choices aren't always the same as friendship choices is an important distinction to make.

There is also the distinction between blocking and rooming.

Students who room together will most likely see each other all the time and have to deal with each other's habits. Blockmates, on the other extreme, may live on opposite sides of a house and see each other only at meals.

Thus, allowing many people to be in your blocking group, but not rooming with them, is an easy way to avoid hurting the feelings of those you may not want to room with.

But in the age of randomization, first-years are often worried that a large group will mean getting a house that they are not happy with. Students from the class of '99 disagree with this philosophy.

"We had a block of 16 and we worried about getting Quadded," recalls one sophomore. "Luckily we ended up in a river house, but I also know of some small blocks that were placed in the Quad."

Often times a large blocking group that combines people who didn't know each other before creates new relationships.

Adam R. Kovacevich '99 found his current roommate because they had both intended to float in the same block.

"I wanted to block with friends from my freshman dorm, but I also needed to find a roommate," recalls Kovacevich. Once I found out that Dave was in a similar predicament, I talked with him about it. We're very compatible and are having a great year. We're already decided to room together next year."