All the living areas on campus have different reputations. Southwest is party area, Sylvan is for all the transfers, and Butterfield is the house for the “crazies.” Butterfield, the place on top of the giant hill, is not as bad as its cracked up to be. Sure, reputations are usually born from fact, and Butterfield does have a history of some craziness, but it can’t be written off as a bad place to live.

Ever since its construction in the 1940s Butterfield has been making a name for itself. The residents of the dorm have conducted countless antics, including an attempt to secede from the union. It is said that a pirate flag was flown from the roof during this period. When Butterfield was the home of the hippies, residents became accustomed to the scent of weed wafting through the hallway.

Now, Butterfield is rumored to be where introverted and unfriendly kids live. This new reputation, however, could not be more wrong. Butterfield is home to countless students who not only love to party and go out, but who are also extremely open and inviting. After visiting me at my dorm in Butterfield, Hannah Dupre, a freshman living in Northeast, said, “The people in Butterfield are so friendly. Everyone always has their doors open.”

I have been living in Butterfield for the past couple of weeks now and could not be happier. I am not going to lie, I was a little worried when I first came here because I knew about the dorm’s reputation. However, all my fears were dispelled after I spent a couple of hours here. I remember walking up the steps with my belongings on move-in day, reading the names on peoples’ doors, and thinking about who they could be. I pictured crazy people with sinister faces and weird habits. After moving in and walking down the small halls I saw that everyone’s doors were open. I popped my head inside and said hello, and everyone welcomed me — never have I been more relieved.

Not to say that there aren’t many different kinds of people living here, because there are all types. Butterfield is home to students with a diverse set of interests and pursuits. Anyone can fit in at Butterfield — there are the music fiends, the book lovers, and the partiers too. All the different personalities layer and overlap into an intricate pattern of converging interests. All day there is music playing in the halls, ranging from clarinet to guitar, to piano, to one’s own voice. On the weekends, people can be seen throughout the halls, awake into the early hours of the morning. No one is alone in his or her desires or pursuits; there is a niche for everyone who lives here.

Butterfield is an all-freshman dorm with a few transfer students thrown in. If the dorm had more age diversity it could be much better. The sophomores could take the freshmen under their wings and show them around, helping them assimilate to UMass culture, older students could expose freshman to all UMass has to offer, including the town of Amherst and all of the different clubs and parties. They could be there to give the freshman all the tips they learned in the previous years.

Since living in Butterfield I have met some amazing people, all of whom are extremely friendly and kind. I will never regret my decision to live up on top of the hill, in this notorious dorm. Butterfield is for anyone and everyone, with a wonderful blend of personalities. It is truly a haven, hidden behind a bad reputation.

Amanda Dennis is a Collegian columnist. She can be reached at  [email protected].