It is Malcolm... Malcolm Hall is located in Segundo's High Rise region, the large building in the northeast corner (near Ryerson). It was named for Robert K. Malcolm and currently houses two Academic Theme Programs. The All Male Floor is on the second floor and the Agricultural Interest ATP occupies the third floor.
Past programs have included the Environmental Connections ATP.
The Freshman Experimental Program, 1970-1971
The Freshman Experimental Program was "an experimental living and learning experience", as it was described by the Housing Office in a pamphlet sent all to students who had been admitted to UC Davis for the 1970-1971 who were seeking accomodations in the dormitories. The pamphet, now lost to time but still vivid in many imaginations, depicted a full-sized windmill in silouette with persons presumed to be students perched from top to bottom, one leg and one arm supporting them, while the other leg and arm were extended outward as a sort of wave to those receiving the pamphlet. The most important information the pamphlet supplied was 1) that the dormitory was coed by floor, at the time still considered an innovative housing arrangement, and 2) that each of the residents of Malcolm Hall would be able to earn 3 units of undergraduate Sociology credit per quarter, allegedly simply for living there.
The latter was of course a myth, one perpetuated among some 200 groups of 1 single potential freshman situated throughout the State, but the idea appealed to many who were cany enough to realize that any actual classwork associated with this particular Sociology class would be minimal considering that it would constitute about 5% of the total units necessary to graduate.
New residents arriving for their freshman year at Davis late in September 1970 who had signed on at Malcolm Hall were surprised to discover that the windmill depicted on the pamphlet was n fact real, it being situated on the grass on the side of Malcolm facing Bixby Hall. It should be a matter of wonder to anyone who reads this in today's environment of risk management and liability avoidance that Malcolm Hall residents were indeed welcome if they wished to re-enact the depiction of a windmill crawling with young 17 and 18 year-old daredevil/idiots. Although it seemed to escape nearly all for the entire year, the Freshman Experimental Program was actually in its second year of operation, a fact plainly evidenced by the windmill graphic. But the residents of Malcolm Hall like most residents of all dormitory halls, seemed to believe not only that they had created the FEP but that they had created Malcolm Hall itself. Indeed, Sociociology 30 was never called Sociology 30, it was simply "Malcolm".
The "experimentation" at Malcolm Hall by its residents.....to be continued
I was a member of the 1970-71 Malcom Experimental Freshman Dorm. I lived on the second floor on the North side. Some of the antics I remember were: repelling down the side of the hall. Marathon Hearts games in the lounge. Nude wall painting in the 2nd floor stairwell. Mud football games. A mock wedding - but the why of that escapes me, as I don't remember the participants being especially enamored of each other. My roommate and I had the first dog in residence at Malcolm. His name was Ezra P. Briard and he seemed to be enrolled in many record and book clubs, although I really wasn't aware he could sign his name. Maybe paw prints sufficied. It was very interesting living quarters.
Freshman Antics
Malcolm seen from afar. Residents of the Penthouse, aka Malcolm 5, of the 2002-2003 freshmen class held quite a party during finals week, a huge floorwide ordeal. While this is commonplace in the dorms, they were told by numerous officers that they had "held the loudest on-campus party" they had ever heard "in all their years of service" and that they couldn't believe it. There were so many people on just the back balcony that an officer was unable to leave the stairwell to even join them, and the door back into the floor couldn't open wide enough either. It was a fitting goodbye. Shopping carts bike locked to the laundry machines also vexed RA's and the custodians, who refused to accept these carts were vital to some of the residents' hall races and duels.
In fact, Malcolm Hall had it's fair share of trouble throughout that year. Fire extinguishers played around with (read: sprayed all over the lobby and common rooms) caused the fire department to yell at the whole building quite vigorously! There were rumored airsoft wars in the Penthouse and in the main lobby, leaving tiny pellet holes in all the blinds (still there in main lobby) and causing the custodians much confusion. There wasn't night security at the construction site of the newer Segundo halls until it was being scoped as a possible airsoft funspot. People managed to get onto the roof, by having someone climb out a window on the 5th floor, a seriously deadly (and therefore stupid) challenge inspired by alcohol, and open the roof access door from the outside. Items (such as pumpkins) were launched at Bixby Hall.
Although "the Penthouse" has been known to host a variety of shenanigans, the residents of Malcolm 3 of '09-'10 stand in the rankings of most rowdy floor. Nightly apple throwing at passing bikers prompted the conduct coordinator to offer a reward of $100 for information leading up to the capture of the culprits. "Apple bowling" up and down the halls of the floor led to a stern lecture and the sport to be banned. 2 residents were kicked out of Malcolm 3 after allegedly smearing fecal matter on the doors of various rooms. 1 resident was kicked out for climbing on the sunscreen and yelling at the RAs. So many alcohol violations were issued that the majority of residents on Malcolm 3 had to hide in closets when the RAs came in order to avoid getting on AP. A couple of residents stole a fraternity class's "pledge horse" and threatened to throw it off of Malcolm. This led to a near brawl in front of Malcolm that only dispersed when the police showed up. All in all, the residents of Malcolm 3 of '09-'10 will go down in the books for most visits with Matt O'Conner(the conduct coordinator) in a single year!
