A Brief History of Langdorm
(This is a modern transcript. For the original ancient text, The Tale of Langdorm, click here.)
There were French and Spanish language sections in Wilson on East Campus from about 1965 onwards. In those houses, there was no English spoken, mostly through peer pressure. One of the treats for the halls then was such events as wine and cheese night, which, as the campus was dry at this time, was considered a special treat. The usage of language there was such that "corridor dialects" were created which department advisors tried, unsuccessfully, to remove from the atmosphere of the houses.
The current Language House was founded in the 1988-1989 academic year. The dorm was established as a result of requests from students returning from Study Abroad programs who wanted to continue to practice the language. The house was originally set up in a dorm on East Campus, but after a year it was moved to Lancaster on West. Then we moved to the Decker Tower in Edens, where the 6-suite structure of the housing encouraged close language halls. We were given 54 beds, which was later expanded to 72. At one point, Langdorm had over 50 members, with German, Spanish, Italian and Russian halls. In 2002, Langdorm was moved to the WEL, now Keohane Quad with Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish halls. Current housing restrictions constrain the house to 41 members, but the number is subject to change.
The Tale of Langdorm
by Ricardo Menjivar T'06, President 2005-06
Once upon a time, in the land of East Campus, in the time of John Lennon, 1965 to be precise, there was a dorm called Wilson. In this dorm there were two language sections: French and Spanish. In these houses, they spoke naught English for their peers would send those that did to the stocks. These sections brought great joy to the land of East Campus in many ways. One of these was the Night of Wine and Cheese, for the Lords of East Campus had forbidden spirits; yet the language sections brought Wine and Cheese on those fateful nights, and the little people rejoiced. However, after a time, the languages sections departed from their origins and spake neither French nor Spanish but a "dialect of the corridors" which was looked down upon by the DEPARTMENTAL ADVISORS. But there was naught anyone could do to change tha languages to their proper form. Alas, eventually the sections withered and disappeared for a long time, much to the dismay of the people.
Until one fateful day, the people spoke to the Lords of the Kingdom of Duke. Having returned from the far away lands where they had learned many other languages, they desired the return of the language sections so that they would have an arena in which to continue their study of their languages. Hence, the rulers of the Kingdom of Duke announced the return of the sections! However, they woudl not return disjointed as they were before, but they would band together, they would UNITE and form....the LANGUAGE HOUSE!
The House of Languages would be formed in the land of East Campus again during 1988 A.D. - 1989 A.D. Yet, it had grown far too powerful for that land, and after only a year, it was moved to Lancaster in the land of West Campus. Eventually even this wasn't enough, and it was forced to reside in the far away Tower of Decker in that land at the edge of the world....Edens. (scary music) There, the division into halls of 6-suites caused each hall to band together even more. Starting with 54 beds, it grew until it had 72! At one point, the Language House had over 50 knights in it that were split into the Halls of German, Spanish, and Russian. Finally, the Language House moved away from this far away land to the paradise of the West-Edens Lnk (the WEL), now known as the Quad of Keohane, the beloved Queen of that time. There it continues to live, with enough beds for 41 knights (that may change according to the decrees of the Lords of West Campus Housing) with 5 different halls: Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. And the little people still rejoice.
THE END
