Following their first few months of college, University of Oregon freshmen have gotten a glimpse of life on campus during their first term.
The Daily Emerald asked first-year students their opinions on the quality of life while some were living in the residence halls.
What is your residence hall missing?
Brendyn Andrews, a freshman who lives in Hamilton Hall, spent his first term with a torn ACL, which he said proved to him how not disability-friendly Hamilton is.
“I would like elevators (in Hamilton). We don’t have elevators,we have stairs,” Andrews said. “I had an ACL injury so I had to walk up the stairs every single time, so it’s definitely not disability-friendly.”
Alexa Godoy, who lives in LLC South, said that she hopes for there to be more common rooms or open areas for people to relax in.
“I wish there were more lounges or more spaces for the community,” Godoy said.
Hadley Smith, a freshman who previously lived in LLC before moving into Unthank Hall, said she really enjoyed her experience at LLC because the rooms were “much bigger.”
“I think LLC is probably the nicest,” Smith said. “The rooms are much bigger, and there’s still good food options as well as a good location on campus.”
Paige McFeeters-Krone, a freshman, who lives in a triple in New Residence Hall, said the hall is very “uniform” and doesn’t feel as “homey” as the other halls on campus feel.
“The uniformity has got to be my least favorite part of the New Residence (Hall),” McFeeters-Krone said. “I found going to other dorm halls, it feels more like a home rather than a hotel which New Residence (Hall) often feels like with its bright-white lighting and very boring colors.”
What has been your least favorite thing about freshman dorms?
Nika Wuppermann, a freshman who lives in Earl Hall, said that she has bumped into a couple of issues with her dorm that made dorm life more complicated, specifically citing the thin walls.
“My least favorite thing (about Earl Hall) is probably the thin walls,” Wuppermann said. “Sometimes it is ridiculously difficult to focus when I can hear everything happening next door, outside and upstairs.”
Kate James, a freshman who lives in Living Learning Center, said that her least favorite part about living in LLC is the loud nights.
“LLC has that stigma for being a pretty big party dorm,” James said. “I’d say it’s kind of true. I think it is kind of bad and does get really loud at night. Quiet hours don’t really exist there.”
What are some perks that your dorm has that others should consider having?
Living in Justice Bean Hall, Andy Herrara said that “it’s really nice” to have a private bathroom compared to having a communal bathroom like some residences.
“A private bathroom, it’s really nice. I would rather have that than a communal bathroom,” Herrera said.
Anisha Srinivasan, who lives in a single room in Global Scholars Hall, said that she found GSH isn’t much of a “party dorm” compared to other residence halls.
“It’s (GSH) quiet and not much of a party dorm which is good because you can go to a party and come back home to a peaceful place for the most part,” Srinivasan said.
Srinivasan also described a distaste for some of the other halls, including Justice Bean, Barnhart and Riley Hall.
“I’ve been to (Justice) Bean (Hall) and it’s loud as f—,” Srinivasan said. “I’ve also been to Barnhart (Hall) and it’s spooky over there like some weird, dystopian energy. Riley (Hall) feels like a prison because the hallways are narrow and are brick.”
What has been your favorite thing about the dormitory that you’re living in this year?
Mallory Larsen, who lives in Earl Hall, described her experience in the hall as “fun” because she said it’s “cool” to be able to say that she lives in one of the oldest buildings on campus.
“Earl (Hall) is probably one of the oldest on-campus dorms, so it’s kind of fun to be able to say that,” Larsen said. “It is a lot of fun there in general … when you think of a freshman dorm in movies, Earl (Hall) is kind of the spitting image.”
Cate Thoden, who lives in Justice Bean Hall, said that living in the hall has been “very good” at helping people to be social.
“(The best part about Justice Bean Hall) is how social it is because even though it is a small room, it gets me out of my dorm and people are always in the hallway or the common room,” Thoden said. “It’s a very social place.”
Jolene Ku, who lives in Hamilton Hall, said that one of the main aspects she likes about the hall is the natural light.
“I really like the huge window and the amount of natural light we get in,” Ku said. “I like the room itself and I think we have a really great RA (Residence Assistant).”
Gigi Roddick, a freshman who lives in New Residence Hall, said her favorite parts about the hall are the communal kitchen and the “welcoming” environment.
“New Residence (Hall) has a kitchen, which I really think improves student community and quality of life,” Roddick said. “I’ve made lots of friends by hanging out there and sharing meals with people.”
