As the only dorm located directly on the academic quad, West Hall's singles, doubles, and quads have long been the most sought-after rooms for incoming sophomores. But times may be changing, as many disillusioned sophomores regret their decision to live in West this year. Faced with crumbling dorm rooms, a mere two washers and two dryers, and the many vermin that also call West Hall home, many are anxious to move out this spring.
Sophomore Courtnay Thomas, who has caught seven mice in her room, is one of them. "Don't live here," she said. "There's garbage and beer cans all over the place, I can't do my laundry, and there are rodents everywhere." Sophomore Adam Blickstein learned firsthand that "rodents" does not always mean your run-of-the-mill mouse.
"I caught a bat that was in my room with a coffee tin and then released it to the wild - it was definitely not a pleasant experience," he said. "Bats are [one of the] most common carriers of rabies."
Students with high lottery numbers, who have the pick of the litter when it comes to dorm rooms, have historically ranked West at the top of their lists. But many West residents say that unless you can get a quad or triple, many rooms are not as large as some may think. The doubles facing the parking lot behind West, for example, are significantly larger than those that border the quads.
"There's no point in living here unless you can get a triple or a quad because all of your other friends will most likely be living elsewhere," sophomore Todd Walters said. "You might have a great number, but if you're far away from your friends, a great number isn't going to be enough to make you happy."
"Living in West, I lost contact with most of my friends from last year," sophomore Mike Stevenson said. "Friends are so much more important than location, and I really regret choosing West." Stevenson's quad-mate, sophomore Doug Smith, agrees that losing touch with close friends he made as a freshman was one of the many drawbacks to living in West. Inadequate facilities are another common complaint about the once-popular dorm.
"The fact that the electricity constantly goes out, that West has the smallest showers ever, and that someone keeps [defecating] in the [hall] closet certainly doesn't help," Smith said. "I was ready to kill myself by Christmas."
While many deem West the most social dorm on campus, many of its residents argue that life on the academic quad is often too close for comfort.
"The walls in West are really thin, and you can hear other people's music - as well as the people [who live] below you having sex," sophomore Evan Turgeon said. "Also, another big cause of frustration is that I have to do all my laundry in Miller because we only have two washing machines and two dryers for the entire dorm." The washers and dryers in West are located in the basement restrooms, leaving only one washer and one dryer are accessible to each gender.
Despite the many complaints, there are students who are happy living in West and have learned to put up with the admittedly poor conditions.
"We live with mice and roaches, but we're at the very top of the hill," sophomore Jack Grimes said. Grimes points out, however, that as Oscar Wilde once said, "We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars."
Sophomore Christina Michael called West a "fun place to live" and said that she still has "a great time" in spite of "the bad bathrooms, the lack of washing machines, and the mice." Michael acknowledges that West Hall does not have the best effect on one's work habits, but that "if you have discipline, you can get stuff done."
