"The crime wasn't that bad--I mean I grew upokay," he says of the Lower East side with toughNYC bravado, but it is evident that theneighborhood--the people, the streets, the noiseand the danger--are in his blood.

Sherrod, a "city person through and through,"argues that students from similar neighborhoodshare a particular edge. She says she sufferedmild culture shock during her first year at theCollege when she arrived in the Yard to find herroommates were three suburbanites. As anupperclass student, she transferred from Dunsterto Adams House for the sole purpose of beingcloser to the "action" of Mass Ave.

Where Are You Going?

When Khentov's family emigrated to the U.S.from Russia 11 years ago, they moved to the LowerEast side of Manhattan to live with hisgrandparents. Although Khentov attended the laudedStuyvesant High School across town, he still hasfond memories of just hanging out at home, beingable to safely go places whenever he wanted to.

"We might not have a backyard but we can walkout and go somewhere," says Khentov, who thinkscity kids have more of "a life in junior high andearly high school" than suburbanites who must"depend on a car and their parents to leave thehouse."

So firm is Khentov's belief in hisneighborhood, he has already decided to returnthere post-graduation. Although marriage andfamily still seem distant possibilities, Khentovalso says he is pretty sure he'll be calling theLower East side home for a long time to come.

Like Khentov, Evans says where he comes fromhas strongly influenced his long-term goals. ButEvans also says South View actively drove hischoice of concentration--economics.

"I want to work on Wall Street, do investmentbanking," Evans says, qualifying what seems like asingularly absorbing career with a sociallyresponsible caveat.

"Eventually I want use these resources topursue community economic development to give backto places like my neighborhood," he says