ResEd declares new, tree-inspired neighborhood names

Stanford Report introduced the brand new neighborhood names in an electronic mail to college students this morning, changing the short-term single-letter names college students have used for nearly two years. The introduction of the official names — all tree themed — concludes the months-long naming course of. Beginning now, the names will enter everlasting use. 

In accordance with council budgets, every neighborhood can obtain as much as $15,000 for his or her “neighborhood naming course of.” In accordance with the neighborhood newsletters, college students may even see neighborhood merchandise and naming celebrations later this quarter.

College students voted for his or her neighborhood names in March from a shortlist of potential tree names submitted by every neighborhood council, however in accordance with the Residential Training (ResEd) web site, solely 30% of undergraduates voted. Councils had recognized finalists based mostly on the sparsely attended scholar ideation periods, the place college students had been inspired to submit any concepts, “regardless of how seemingly outlandish or wacky,” in accordance with the neighborhood newsletters. 

“Wacky” tree options, comparable to Truffula, the fictional tree from the Lorax, and Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life from Norse mythology, had been included on the lists of finalists for Neighborhoods T, A and O (now Hyperion, Aspen and Olive), however finally weren’t chosen. The Every day reached out to ResEd for extra details about vote tallies and runners-up, however had not obtained a response on the time of publication.

In accordance with Stanford Report, selecting new names is supposed to assist generate a cohesive identification for every neighborhood. An absence of group in every neighborhood is a standard gripe amongst Stanford college students. 

The present monosyllabic names of every neighborhood — letters that spell out “S.T.A.N.F.O.R.D” — had been all the time presupposed to be short-term. As a number of customers on the social media platform Fizz have identified, the primary letters from the brand new neighborhood names now spell out “S.H.A.G.W.O.R.M.”

Some college students consider these new names could ameliorate campus vitriol in direction of the neighborhood methods. 

“At the least it means one thing now,” mentioned Emily Liu ’26, a scholar in Neighborhood A — now known as Aspen. “I really feel like individuals didn’t actually just like the letters earlier than.” 

However solely time will inform if the brand new tree-related names can develop on Stanford college students. 

“I imply, personally I believe it’s slightly cooler,” Liu mentioned. “However individuals most likely don’t even know what an Aspen tree is like.” 

The total listing of names is as follows: