So . . . You Got Assigned To Live On Cook/Douglass

Whenever I tell people that I live on Cook/Douglass, they give me that look of shock/pity and they picture me having to take the bus 10 miles away to go walk through corn fields with no interaction with the rest of civilization. However, that is far from being the case. Here's some reasons why you shouldn't be mad about receiving Cook/Douglass for your housing assignment.

1. There is so much open space

Giphy / Via giphy.com

There is an abundance of open space available to create the perfect peaceful getaway from the stress of those 3 exams you have to look forward to within the next week. Large open spaces that are great for tanning (or, you know, studying) include Wood Lawn (the large open space that connects the residential part of campus to many of the academic buildings and student center), Antilles Field, and Passion Puddle.

2. It's the best campus for Rutgers Day

New Brunswick Today / Via newbrunswicktoday.com

Rutgers Day is an annual event that happens at the end of the spring semester (usually the last Saturday of April). On Cook/Douglass, there is Ag Field Day that takes place over by Passion Puddle and Red Oak Lane. It is a tradition that began with Cook College (now the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, or SEBS) and features environmental groups and Cook College alumni organizations. New Jersey Folk Festival is held on Wood Lawn. There's always local vendors that set up shop for the day, ranging from food-shaped candles to jewelry made from recycled materials to homemade treats. It is definitely the most interesting of the 4 campuses.

3. We have mounted patrol

Edwin Gano, The Daily Targum / Via dailytargum.com

Rutgers has community service officers (CSO's). A CSO is full-time student who is a uniformed, unarmed paid employee of the Rutgers University Police Department. They patrol the campuses on foot, bike, and in marked cars. However, Cook/Douglass is special because we are the only campus with CSO's who patrol on horseback. If you see CSO's on horseback, you can greet the officers and ask them if you can pet their horse (they will mostly say yes).

4. Speaking of animals, there are dogs here ALL THE TIME

The Seeing Eye / Via seeing.convio.net

There are 2 clubs involving animals at RU - the Seeing Eye Puppy Club and Companion Animal Club. In both cases, it's always fun to get to see a dog in the student center or on the bus to appreciate their ~majesty~. However, DO NOT PET THE ANIMALS UNLESS YOU HAVE PERMISSION FROM THEIR HANDLER/FOSTER/RAISER/SITTER.

For Companion Animals (red vest on animal), they are not allowed to be touched by people while in their vest because they are service animals in training who can't be distracted while working. If they are out of their vest, ask permission from the handler/foster and they will mostly say yes.

For Seeing Eye Puppies (green vest), they are allowed to be pet with permission from their raiser/sitter. The answer is usually yes, but please respect them when they say no.

5. So many ~fall~ events happen on our campus

Rendell Tababan, Rutgers University Programming Association (RUPA) / Via herenow250.rutgers.edu

With Cook/Douglass being a very open campus filled with trees and wildlife, it's no wonder that so many seasonal activities occur here in the fall semester. One of the highlights would be RUPA's Scarlet Harvest, which happens in mid-October on Wood Lawn in front of the Eagleton Institute of Politics. This annual tradition features music from student bands, free food, arts and crafts, photo booth (shown above), mechanical bull, and more!

6. And no, Neilson Dining Hall is not horrible

Discovery Map / Via discoverymap.com

I would rank it #2 out of 4 at Rutgers-New Brunswick. The Cook Cafe (CCC) and Douglass Cafe are also great too! But you're probably best staying away from Brower Commons.

7. Once again, it's beautiful

Douglass Residential College / Via douglass.rutgers.edu

Once you've lived on Cook/Douglass for a full year, you grow accustomed to life here and feel attached to it. When I first entered Rutgers, I wanted to spend each year living on a different campus. Now, I can't imagine not living here!