By Zack Downing, Staff Writer
It’s March, and that means it’s time to scramble and find a building to live in for the 2018-19 school year. If you have friends and your bill’s all paid for, organizing your living situation can be a lot of fun. But, if you owe the school money, it’s incredibly stressful.
If you aren’t going to be pulled in by other people, you have control over our own destiny. You need to decide where to live next year. Let me help by reviewing all your options. We’ll start on the east side of campus.
PINE DALE – The only building on campus with any non-90 degree angles, Pine Dale’s large slanted windows are a distinct feature of its scenic aesthetics. The layout is simple, and there are two elevators so you never have to stand waiting for them too long. If you’re a freshman who has an ideal roommate, try aiming for Pine Dale.
OAK GLEN – Characterized by a cool lobby and a long, long hallway on one end, Oak Glen’s room setup is a little different. There are suites, small hallways that branch off and contain a few smaller rooms, like veins in a big concrete body. This is for the friend group that thinks living together is a great idea, until they become tired of each other and gang up on the people in the forced triple.
HICKORY/EVERGREEN – This is the best option for people who don’t want to walk a long way to class, especially art students. Sitting right next to the CVPA, you could wake up at 7:58 and still make your 8 a.m. The apartments are always a great pick, for just a slight increase in price. You’ll get a nice living room with a kitchen, fridge, and two bathrooms. Out of the six apartments, these two are probably the best choice.
BIRCH/WILLOW – If you pick these, you’re trading a slightly longer walk to class for the easiest access to Birch Grille. Imagine walking downstairs and having those succulent chicken tenders right there in front of you. It’s divine. And if you’re super into the Woodland Commons for some reason, Willow’s your best bet.
IVY/ASPEN – Ivy and Aspen are the apartments for you if you love dodging cars while crossing the street. It’s the same kind of building as the other apartments, they’re just placed the most inconveniently.
One positive is that they’re next to the basketball court and hockey rink, the two premiere places on campus to play sports outside the gym area. Another plus is that Ivy’s the closest to the Dells, especially thanks to a path some trailblazers made through the woods. Speaking of which…
THE DELLS – Here we go. There are lots of pros and cons when it comes to Dell life. One pro is that the sign-in policy, while technically a thing that exists, is fully ignored. Signing someone in to the Dells is like thanking a teacher for assigning you homework. Another positive (for some people) is the lively party life and the crowds that come down on Friday and Saturday night.
A lot of students wouldn’t like the party atmosphere, but they should ignore the myth that the Dells are always a madhouse; they’re totally silent on most nights.
Probably the worst part of the Dells is the walk you have to take to get to and from class. If you don’t have a car or bike, you’re leaving 15 minutes early if you don’t want to be late. You could take the bus, but the bus’s reliability isn’t something you should invest in. Other cons are the lack of air conditioning, which sucks in September, and the confusing layout of numbers.
The only difference between Dell South and Dell West is the giant puddle that forms in the middle of one of the South paths. If you live there, you know what I’m talking about.
I imagine most people have made up their minds about their living preferences, but maybe some minds were changed. I dedicate this article to the memory of Roberts Hall. In memoriam. It wasn’t a tree.
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