Stern Hall (Berkeley)
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Stern Hall is an all-female residence at the University of California, Berkeley. It was built in 1942 on a $258000 grant from Rosalie Meyer Stern, widow of Sigmund Stern, class of 1879. It is the sister hall to Bowles Hall, the all-male residence on campus. While Bowles is known for its fraternity-like atmosphere, Stern percieved as quiet and anti-social. It does, however, boast a playful sunny yellow and burnt sienna exterior and a colorful interior. The Hall was first opened for 90 undergraduate women; currently it houses approximately 267.
[edit] The Building
The Hall was designed by William Wurster, the former dean of the College of Environmental Design. The building has four floors comprising single, double and triple occupancy rooms, with a limited number of suites. Bathrooms are either single-sex or co-ed; all males must announced themselves when entering the co-ed bathrooms. In 1959, a new wing, adding room for 47 more residents, was completed. A second wing was added in 1981.
Stern Hall has a number of notable features: an original Diego Rivera mural is located at the bottom of the spiral staircase leading off from the main lounge, and a painting of Rosalie Meyer Stern hangs in the Stern Library. The library itself contains a valuable collection of French literature, donated by a member of the Stern family.
[edit] Traditions
Traditionally, the Bowlesmen sing every Thursday night to the ladies of Stern. Their ballads include the Bowles Hall Drinking Song, the California Drinking Song, and various well-known pop songs. There is also a song written specifically about Stern which captures the negative stereotypes associated with the hall:
Stern Hall Eating Song
We're short, we're fat, we're ugly,
We only speak Chinese,
We don't go out with Bowlesmen,
We think they're a disease.
Just one thing makes us happy,
One thing makes us feel right,
And that's to eat, and eat, and eat,
And eat throughout the night.
We love the taste of ice cream,
We love to stand to line,
We put chocolate on everything,
And think that it tastes fine.
Just one more piece of popcorn,
Just one more ounce of fat.
Please in our mouths put anything,
Well, anything but that.
(Added Yell:
S!T!E!R!N-Space-H!A!L!L!
Stern Hall! Stern Hall! Steerrrrrn Hall!)
We never miss a dinner,
We never miss a lunch,
We're always up for breakfast,
We wish they'd add a brunch.
Food is our true obsession,
We think that it's no joke,
But still to keep our figures trim,
We all drink Diet Coke.
Occasionally, some of the more adventurous women of Stern throw water balloons at the singing Bowlesmen. Those who are especially daring fill up condoms.
A secret society, comprised of the most audacious hall residents, has been rumored to exist in the Hall. Their symbol consists of a circle intersected by a vertical line, much like the Greek letter Phi. A secret "makeout room" is supposedly located somewhere in the building. Not much else is known about this secret society, although the aftermath of their pranks is frequently felt by residents of both Stern and Bowles.
Stern, like all Berkeley residence halls, is lead by the Resident Hall Association, known colloquially as "Hall ASS," thanks to its reputation of being overly-obnoxious, overly-eager, and mind-numbingly dull. Consequently, Stern Hall has few traditions and a generally unsocial atmosphere, unlike Bowles.
