Evan Schwartz

Review of Clark Kerr Infant Center

Clark Kerr is a beautiful place to live, and the c...

Clark Kerr is a beautiful place to live, and the commute, while far, is often exaggerated. There's lots of natural scenery, big rooms and lounges, and it's adjacent to student-accessible track, pool, tennis courts, volleyball pits, and hiking trails. And it is surrounded by a similarly beautiful neighborhood that makes you feel as though you are frequently separated from the chaos of the UC campus. This, however, comes with a downside of feeling isolated from the campus activity and prone to staying in your dorm room rather than getting out and involved at school.
All in all, the one serious downside to Clark Kerr is the uniquely antisocial atmosphere. Certain cliques -- primarily the athletes and the frat/sorority rushers -- dominate the dorms in a homogeneous and unaccepting way. It's difficult to avoid them, and it can get annoying if you do not fit nicely into them. There certainly aren't as many hardcore STEM kids here; it's generally more a party culture kind of group, if you're into that.
Living here for a third year now, so there is definitely a net benefit. But you need to be prepared for the kinds of exclusive crowds you encounter here. Of course, there will be decent kids, but it's definitely a different kind of group predominating here.