Rate the Dorms

From OSU Wiki

Contents 1 Bloss 2 Buxton 3 Callahan 4 Cauthorn 5 Finley 6 The Gem 7 Halsell 8 Hawley 9 McNary 10 Poling 11 Sackett 12 Weatherford 13 West 14 Wilson

Bloss

• My freshman year, I lived in Bloss with one of my best friends. This dorm has a lot of positive aspects in my opinion. First off you only have to share a bathroom with 3 other people then yourself. The down side of this is, if you have suite mates that are not trust worthy, you can not lock your bathroom door from them, so it is a good idea to get to know your suite mates. Another positive aspect of Bloss, like all other dorms, is the lightning quick internet. The location of Bloss has its advantages and disadvantages. While you are close to Dixon and the Country Store, you are separated from campus by train tracks. This can randomly cause you to be late to class or something else equally as important. The Country Store makes living in Bloss great. It is open late into the night, and allows you access to "real" food when you need it. The Dinning Center for Bloss is Arnold. The variety there is moderate, allowing you to get a sandwich, Mexican food, or the "home cooked dish". The rooms in Bloss, are smaller then that of West but bigger then others. If you bunk the beds, you end up with a lot more room, making it a lot easier to move around in your room. A big down side to Bloss is the noise. First you are right by the train tracks, which when the train passes, it will blow its horn loudly and for a long time. Next, you are by the stadium, during game day, it will be loud until the game has been over for some time. Lastly, the showers are located very close to where you sleep. If your room mate, or suite mate decide to take a shower at odd times (like 2 a.m) it will most likely wake you up. All in all Bloss is a great place to live. The pluses out weigh the negatives and the location is great. I would recommend it to anyone.

• I lived in this dorm my freshman year with a buddy from high school. Let me tell you, Bloss Hall has some of the bigger dorm rooms when compared to other dorms, such as Weatherford, Buxton, and Finley. Another nice luxury is the fact that you share a toilet and shower with just 3 other people, including your roommate, and your 2 neighbors. It's nice to have a toilet close, so you don't have to get up and put actual "clothes" on to go to the bathroom. Some dorms such as West, if you are on the opposite side of the bathroom hall, then you had to actually go outside and back in through the other hall. What a way to wake you up and keep you up. Bloss was also convienent because it was located right next to Arnold Dining Center, which has great campus food. They offer a selection of different types of food, such as mexican, asian, and classic American. This food location is very close, and also is home to the Country Store, a circle-k type store open till 2am, carrying foods from hotdogs, corndogs and nachos, to frozen burritos and can food. Located right next to Bloss is an outdoor basketball hoop, with a timed lighting feature that allows you to play ball any time of the day or night with the aide of light.

• Bloss without a doubt is a great place to live, but does have a few flaws. Since you share a bathroom with another room, there is no way to lock your room door leading into the bathroom, meaning that your neighbors or their friends could come into your room whenever they wanted. There is also that chance that if your suitmates are that nice of people, they could actually proceed to steal some of your things without even knowing it. Generally, this is not the case as your neighbors and you develop mutual respect for one another and their things but their has been some incidents that have occured with this.

• Very dreary looking from the outside, and it has one of the slowest elevators on campus. Suite style living with every two rooms sharing a bathroom, which is very convenient. Next to Arnold Dining Center, which is very outdated compared to McNary or West. Close to dixon.

• Bloss was definitely an experience to say the least. The rooms themselves have no carpet and are pretty small. The elevator is slow, and taking the stairs is not that fun. Although there are some low points, Bloss has the one thing that i wanted the most, and that was semi private bathrooms. Its very nice not to have to share a bathroom with 30 other people. I would really opt to go to an apartment though, because the rent is about $600 less per month, and you actually have some room to walk around.

• Another downside is that if your a male, you will be living with 3 other males. That means that the bathroom will never be clean because if one room of roommates decides to clean the bathroom, then the other set of neighbors have power over them. For me, I just can't imagine cleaning up someone else's pee and body hair. Gross!

• Not only do guys have an issue with having to clean the bathrooms but sometimes girls run into issues with having their suitmates be dirty. My freshmen year, the suitmates that I had never cleaned the bathroom, even if it smelled horribly or there was stuff all over the place. If my roommate and I wanted the bathroom to be clean, we would have to clean it ourselves and the suitmates would never even thank us for the work that we did.

• Another thing that sucks if you live on the top floor (there are 7 floors, is that the elevator is the worst on campus, as mentioned above. Sometimes the elevator would take up to 20 minutes for it to make it down to the 1st floor. Some people would take the only elevator a couple of floors down, which meant that everyone had to suffer because of it. The worst was if you were to forget something in your room, your better off running up the flight of stairs to retrieve it, as it will take you all day to wait for the elevator.

• On top of all of this, I couldn't stand how it seemed every other dorm on campus was equipped with electronic door un-lockers. Bloss however, had the worst doors to unlock when coming back to the dorm. The locks would stick and your key eventually gets warped and would no longer work. Late at night when you would try and get a decents night of sleep, you would be able to hear someone down the hall trying to open their door and then slamming the door in order to keep it closed. Because of this, I had to get a new key twice because mine got bent from all the incidents of not being able to open the door.

• Living in a dorm, any dorm, is an experience in which everyone should experience because not only will you have plenty of stories to tell, but you will learn alot about yourself in the many months of being there.

• I am a transfer student from community college and so I don't have a lot of experience with dorms. This is my first year in Bloss Hall and from what I can tell it is decent, but definitely nothing to brag about. The semi-private bathrooms are nice compared to what I have read about the other dorms. Arnold Dining Center has cheap food but probably the worst quality on campus. What I like best about Bloss is its location. Close to Dixon, the library, country store. I think my experience would be a lot better if I were on the second or third floors instead of the seventh. It is a pain waiting on the elevator and laundry isn't fun when you have to go all the way down and back up.

• My freshman year here at Oregon State I lived in Bloss. The hall is one of the oldest ones on campus meaning it lacked some of the newer features such as scannable door keys and speedy elevators. On the other hand it made up for its technological handicap by having the biggest rooms on campus. This is definitely a case where bigger is better. The hall also had a bathroom between every other room. This meant that there were four people to every bathroom unlike a whole floor like most other dorms. The best part about Bloss is its convenient location next The Country Store. The Country Store is open later than any other food place on campus and is packed with the essential munchies such as Kettle Chips, microwavable pizzas, and PowerAde. With such an exquisite store a hundred feet down there was no reason to eat at Arnold. Most people figure that out pretty fast. I have some great memories at Bloss Hall. Every hall has its drawbacks, but at Bloss the good outweigh the bad by a long shot.

• For my freshman year of college, my roommate who I knew from childhood and myself lived on the 7th floor of Bloss Hall. First off, being on the 7th floor, or top floor, had its advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include having no one above cutting out noise and you were farther away from the sounds down below. The disadvantage of being up so high was that when the elevator broke, and it broke several times over the course of the year, you had to climb up and down 7 flights of stairs. I didn’t mind it toward the end however. As far as the rooms go, they were nice and spacious. As mentioned before, each room has it’s own sink and I thought that was one of the nicest features to have now that I visit friends in their dorm. Having a toilet and shower was nice because it was close but can be a hassle when the roommates in the other room do not clean it. Overall, the rooms very nice. The buildings location is a downside because it is right next to Arnold, arguably the worst dining center on campus and it was rather far from all of your classes. On the other hand, it was nice being next to Reser and Gill as well as Dixon. The Country Store was nice during the weekends when Arnold was closed. All in all, I thought Bloss was a very nice hall to live in and I highly recommend it.

• Bloss information

Buxton

• Clean, newly remodeled and well furnished

• This dorm is pretty much the same as Hawley, considering they are connected. I lived in Buxton, yet my RA lived in Hawley (just to give you the idea). I lived in a three person room which I actully liked because the rooms felt a little bigger, but if I could I would have gotten one of the suites. The suites are at the end of the halls and connect two larger three person rooms with a bathroom. The West Side of Campus (the quad, Whetherford, and West) was an extremely convenient place to live. West Dining Hall is new and offers a variety of food. This side of campus is the closest to Dixon Recreational center and to the MU. RA's come and go but 05'-06' the staff was very laid back and as long as you respected them they respected you. Sometimes in the better dorms you will find more upper classmen, my floor freshman were the minority. The upper classmen were very helpful and friendly though, and helped me "learn the ropes" etc. Overall the experience was pleasant and Buxton.
• Buxton Information

Callahan

• This dorm is in the McNary triplex on the east side of campus with McNary as well as Wilson. It is a first year expierience dorm so you can expect to be living with a lot of other underclassmen.

• The benefits to the first year student are mixed. On the plus side, your all in the same boat and the staff goes out of their way to connect you to other students who you live with. You also have a great chance to conveniently hook up with students in your dorm for study groups in classes like Math 111, Wr 121, and other typical first year bacc. core classes.

• On the flip side the dorm does show it's age which sometimes can get depressing. The majority of beds are cots which arn't very comfortable but you do get used to them. The students in Callahan tend to be a little more immature. Expect to be scarred at least once by something you find in the bathroom.

• Note: Also, even though UHDS says this dorm is substance free you will still see drugs and alochol on a daily basis.

• I lived in Callahan for 2 terms of the '04-'05 school year. The location is nice, unless of course you have classes in Wiegand Hall. Since it is the 'first year experience' hall, many of the programs facilitated by the RA's were focused on helping incoming freshman become more familiar with the OSU campus, and also with what types of resources are available to them. It was nice to be around people who were taking a lot of the same classes as me, and who were also going through the same kind of stuff as I was at the time. One thing I didn't like however, was the fact that some of the poeple who lived there were very immature. It reminded me of being in high school all over again, which is not what I was looking forward to when attending college. There were many times when people would be running around, screaming, or coming back drunk and being loud and obnoxious at 3am in the morning. Overall, Callahan was a good experience.

• I lived in Callahan my freshman year, and overall it was a good experience. It gave me the opportunity to meet people who were my age, as well as helping me get accustomed to college life. Callahan is the "freshmen experience" dorm so there were a lot of activities to experience. The RA's did a good job of planning events to help everyone get to know each other. Many freshmen may feel nervous about moving away from home and making new friends, but the good thing about Callahan is that everyone is in the same position. Everyone is looking to make new friends. Callahan gave me the chance to fit in, make new friends, and feel comfortable at OSU. I recommend Callahan for all freshmen coming to OSU.

• I lived in Callahan my freshmen year. It was a great experiece because everone was a freshmen and everyone was in the same boat as I was. Callahan was a great dorm for freshmen because they provide hall/dorm actitivities that allow students to transition from high school to college. I lived on the 4th floor on the all girls wing. I loved living on the all girls wing because all of us girls united and became close. I am still friends with a few girls from our floor. We ate at McNary dinnig hall, which I found, is the best food facility on campus. They have a smoothy bar, pasta and pizza bar, stir fry and a wide variety of menu items that change daily. I definantly recommed Callahan, awsome for first year students.

• I heard that callahan is scary looking, dark, and creepy- especially on the second floor. I went there once and it was true. Never again did I go back!!

• Callahan is outdated, old, and hiedously ugly. The rooms arn't taken care of at all. My window started leaking water in at the end of Fall term, and i was told it would be fixed over Winter Break. It was never done, and I constantly found water pool up on the window sill, soaking anything on it. Because its a freshman dorm, everyone wants to experience the 'college' life. Apparently this means getting drunk every weekend, running and screaming down the hall at 4am, and breaking the fire alarm glass. Overall it was a pretty crappy place to live. The RA's didnt do any 'freshmen experience' crap, they just hid themselves in their rooms.

Callahan Information

Cauthorn

• In the process of being remodeled. outdated and lame. Used for conference housing. Did you know that the carpet was purchased USED from the Salem airport? Nasty.
• Cauthorn Information

While Cauthorn is in the process of being renovated, I feel it is important to point out that it will be a great dorm once again for future students at OSU. It has a prime location. It is located in a quad setting with Buxton, Hawley, and Poling. It is across the street from Sackett and West International Housing. Being this close to so many other dorms is a great way to network and meet so many new people. The West Dining Hall is a great place to get food and it is right next door to Cauthorn. THere are many different options of foods which will satisfy any appetite. Cauthorn is also conveniently located next to most of the major buildings on campus so walking to class is no problem. Once Cauthorn is renovated it will be one of the top dorms on the ORegon State campus.

Finley

• September 2007:Finley is across the railroad tracks, kind of far from the academic buildings, library, bookstore, etc. Having a bike helps, but isn't always an option. I talked to someone whohad lived in Finley a few years ago, and he said that the food in the adjacent dining center, Arnold, used to be terrible. It's improved alot, there's burgers, a salad bar, and two bistro sections that have different entrees everyday, serving mexican and american style food. The experience on your floor depends on something you can't really predict--the type of person you'll be sharing it with. Every dorm has good and bad floors, good and bad people, Finley isn't a bad dorm because you don't like the people who were randomly assigned to live there. There's the country store, effectively a 7-11, right outside. Biggest con is the distance from the main buildings.
• I lived in Finley two years ago. I really didn’t enjoy living there due to Finley not really providing much of the dorm experience. Although everyone in Finley is nice, nobody really wanted to get to know anyone other than their neighbors. Walking down the hallway it was always weird for me to see people with their doors open. I had talked to my friends who happened to be in other dorms, and they said that everyone on their floor was good friends, and that everyone knew everyone. The one perk to living in Finley was the Country Store. This was the perfect place to go and get some late night snacks, or just to eat a descent meal. Arnold dining center on the other hand is easily the worst dining center on campus, offering a very old and outdated building to go with the poor entrées. Finley is not the type of dorm I would recommend to anyone looking to make a ton of knew friends. I would recommend it to you though if you are satisfied with just knowing your roommate and maybe one or two neighbors.
• VERY small living space and outdated. I shut a door one time and was locked in for 4 hours until a subcontractor had to come and tear down the door. The dorm itself is themed with wellness, which I had assumed that we would have better access to gyms to workout, but I was mistaken. Finley does very little to earn its wellness theme, besides the RAs cracking down on liquor and marijuana consumption. My recommendation is to not sign up for Finley unless you really dont like to be social and go out on weekends. You will get in trouble with State Police and the RD if you drink and/or smoke.
• While it sucked that you couldn't really move stuff around, when I lived there (2004-2005) it was remodeled the summer before. This meant new paint, new beds, and the bathrooms were clean. The best thing was that I met some really cool people there (including my current boyfriend).
• The country store also was an added benefit. Really pricey though.
  
• The rooms might have seemed small to people from other dorms, but in reality, all of the dorm rooms aren't really that different size wise. What difference does a couple feet make anyway? I had a wonderful experience at Finley, with the exception of when the water pipes got busted and I had to deal with cold water or no water for a couple days.
• Arnold really sucked as a dining center. The food got old really fast. Shakes, burgers, and pasta.

• The worst thing about Finley was the staff. The RA's on my floor never had time throughout the year to even say hi to me, let alone learn my name. I see them on campus now, and they pretend not to know who I am. Since Finley is very "anti-alcohol" they were very anal about alcohol. If you were friends with someone who got busted, they would automatically make sure to listen out your door to see if you were doing the same. I had 3 accounts last year of RA's listening outside my door just because my friends were in it and they had previously gotten in trouble.
• Finley is very far from campus and I felt very isolated when I lived there. I didn't like having to walk so far to get to my classes. It really sucked when you had to wait for the train that comes by early in the morning and will come and wake you up. I also felt that people in Finley didn't really talk to each other that much unless you lived really close to them. The dorms are very depressing, they don't have good lighting, and they smell funny. You have to wait for the cleaning people when they clean the bathrooms. You also have to sometimes take a cold shower which is no fun. The food sucks, if it weren't for the Cunt I don't know what I would have done. The FRY SAUCE however is really good on fries or grilled chicken sandwich. The hotdogs are also pretty good!
• Overall, i personally dont think that Finley was that bad of a resident hall compared to others on campus. I lived there my freshman year which was a couple of years ago. They had recently remodeled it so everything was clean to my standard. I felt that the rooms were much more comfortable in size and layout compared to the other halls i have been into. They did have the strictest alcohol policy but i didnt drink much so it never really bothered me at all. I guess this year they have a no tolerance policy which kinda blows because it somewhat ruins a little part of your first year experience if you get caught and get kicked out. When i was there, the only downsides i could find was the faculty. There were a few anal RA's, one of which actually wrote up kids for playing cards. They would often listen at your door if you have been written up before. They looked to bust kids. Other than that, the people on my floor were extremely friendly and we got along well, most of which i still am friends with. Shout out to the Cunt, thats the best place to go after a long night of partying.
• Finley Information

The Gem

• The GEM is new upperclassmen student housing. You must be sophomore or higher standing at OSU or a graduate student, or staff/faculty to live in The GEM. It is located across campus at Kings Blvd & Monroe. Studio and 1-3 bedroom apartments are available, although most units are studios.

Rent varies considerably between units. The range is approximately $400-700. Parking is not included in the rent and they have their own parking permit system that is not reciprocal with the university parking lots. The permit is $200/year ($20/mo added to rent bill), more than twice the rate of OSU on-campus parking. The management states they don't "oversell" the passes, but it's not uncommon to find half a dozen or so illegally parked cars causing permit holding tenants to have to drive all over the lot to find a space.

This dormitory style apartments is cheaper than living on campus and the location is nice, but price is on the high side compared to other apartments, although it is furnished with the basic furniture.

Furniture included:
Desk + chair
Bed. Twin or full size (depending on particular unit)
Refrigerator. Dorm style or full size, depending on unit
Small couch
Small table + chairs in some units

• For more information, visit The GEM

• Tours were offered the summer before The GEM opened. The studios I looked at were nice but somewhat small for the price. They are able to charge a higher price because they are in such a prime location but many of the rooms are oddly shaped and look into other buildings. This seemed perfect for students who don't have their own furniture but those that do may be frustrated with the fact that they are not allowed to bring in any furniture to personalize the space; such as an additional couch or a bed. The bed supplied is also the typical twin extra long in many of the units which may be great for some students but some students don't enjoy a twin bed (or twin bed with a friend). My general take on the place was it would be great if you are a serious student looking for a safe, quiet place close to campus and do not have your own furniture. There are live in student resident managers much like the RA's of the dorms which is comforting for some but restrictive for others.

Halsell

• Sweet, apartment style living. Good amount of space and close to Dixon
• If you are going to live anywhere on campus I think you should live in Halsell Hall!!! I think that it costs somewhere close to $200 more a term for a double room than the cheapest dorm on campus (that's hardly anything so if you want to save money this extra $200 should not be an excuse to live in Poling or something, just move off campus). The hall is really conveniently located since it is right next to Dixon and less than 50 feet from a dinning hall and the campus store. Halsell does not have the dorm atmosphere either, in fact it feels like you are living in an apartment. You don't have to talk to anyone, and drinking/partying is appreciated if you have the right roommates. The RAs don't pay attention, and you can't prop the doors open, and they can't hear the sound of you drinking. It's awesome.
• I lived in Halsell my freshman year (2004-2005) and I loved it! Like stated above, drinking/partying is acceptable only if you dont get caught. Unfortuantely I was caught during Civil War weekend(so be careful!). The good thing is its not a harsh pentaly, you just have to go to one Impact class. Also, I was lucky with having chill roommates, but if anyone isnt that lucky, the good thing with Halsell is you have your own room and you can always just shut the door and have your own privacy. All in all, I recommend Halsell 100%
• Halsell is by far the nicest dorm available at OSU. It's like your living in a hotel. The carpets, floors, windows, couches, rooms are all top notch. The only thing that Halsell is really horrible at os socializing amongst the roommates. Hardly anyone ever keeps there doors open and if they do, it really doesnt matter anyways because everyone has an individual room to go with the living room and might spend a lot of time in their own rooms. If your a freshman and don't care about meeting a lot of new people, then Halsell if perfect for you. But if your a freshman and really want to socialize and meet tons of new people I would suggest Callahan, Finley, Halwey, or Buxton.
• The RD, Josh Ashcroft, is pretty stupid, so that's great. So do everything you can to live in Halsell and if you don't get in I recommend that you find a place off campus because contrary to what anybody says you never "need" to have the dorm experience.

• The Resident Director and his wife had weekly social events the year that I lived there which was nice because it gave one an opportunity to get to know the other students in the building in a controlled environment. They also had a baby that year which was fun for many of us to see and play with and I know some students who were homesick enjoyed the young child around. These dorms definitely have a great layout. The four-bedroom units have four single bedrooms around a decent sized living room with bathroom and kitchen. Two of the bedrooms are typical dorm room sized and two are huge. The two bedroom units have a two-person bedroom on either side of the living room. The toilet is separated from the shower which was nice because others don’t want to wait for someone to be done with the shower to use the restroom. The kitchens in these units are set up for safety and have electromagnetic stoves. This was nice because you were unable to burn hands on it but it was extremely difficult to find pans that worked on the stove as the first year of use many were taken from the units. They didn’t have a refrigerator which was annoying but if everyone had a small refrigerator it worked out fine.
• I would suggest these dorms to students who are looking for something other than the typical dorm experience. These dorms are much more like apartment living and if you don’t know your roommates going into the school year be prepared as you are about to share a small communal space with three others for a full year. The student does not get a typical dorm experience in these units because you have three roommates and that is who you get to know. In many of the dorms students propped doors open and knew everyone in the halls, this is not the necessarily case in Halsell and many students didn’t get to know anyone other than their roommates.
• To get into Halsell Hall you must submit essays and show that you participate in community service. Many students lie on their essays just to get into a nice dorm but to stay another year you must participate in the community service events sponsored by the dorm. This was a nice setup for some who would participate and it gave them times and rides to many different locations. For those who didn’t chose to participate there was no obligation unless they planned to apply the next year.
• Halsell Information

Hawley

• I lived in Hawley my freshmen year during the 2004-2005 school year, on the fourth floor in a double. This dorm is very nice in comparison to some of the other ones that are offered. I really liked the fact that we did not have to clean the bathrooms, also it was close to West dining center, although that might be a bad thing always being tempted by food. The RD that was working there my year is still working there, and she is very relaxed on some issues, but some other issues she is very strict. She will try to help you in anyway she can, so don't be scared to ask her for help. All in all I recommend that Hawley is a dorm that you keep in mind when looking for one.

• Clean, newly remodeled and well furnished

• I lived in Hawley during the school year of 2004-2005. I lived on the fourth floor in the deluxe triple suite. The suite was amazing. It came with a bathroom which was shared by my room, and the two other doubles that lived in the suite. I had a good relationship with the girls in the suite, and since we had to clean the bathroom ourselves I came up with a schedule that rotated each week which room was in charge of keeping the bathroom clean and tidy. After awhile this failed, but the only downside that I had towards living in Hawley is that if you live in the suite you have to clean your own bathroom.

• Another positive thing to Hawley is that it is right next to West Dining Center, so it was convenient to get a snack throughout the day.

• I lived in Hawley my sophmore year. I was hesitant to live in the dorms again, since I had done it previously the year before. A couple of my friends and I chose to live in the suite sytle rooms in the corners of the buildings. This was a sweet setup for us because you were excluded from the main hall and had your own bathroom and entrance door. I don't recodmend living in the suites if you are an incoming freshmen because since you are excluded it's harder to meet people, but as that I was a sophmore it was great. Hawley was in a great location as well, close to classes and to the recreation center. The dining hall I rate was okay, not the greatest food on campus and the food variety seemed to grow old. The reason why I enjoyed Hawley was I got paired with an awesome roomate. We got along great. I think that a positive dorm experience is largely based on if you have a roomate that you get along with. I recondmend for freshmes is if they are unhappy with there roomate, petition for a new one or your first year is going to be tough. Also, one part I liked about the suites are the rooms are huge. We felt like our space was too big actually for the two of us, but it came in handy on some occasions. Another thing why I liked Hawley is there was a mixture of students ages. It was not full of just freshmen,but you had a variety of upperclassmen as well. I reccomend Hawley because it's a great place to meet friends and the building is newly renovaited.

• Hawley Information

McNary

• We had a mice issue my freshman year. I think they were coming in from the field across the street.
• I lived there 2004-2005 and the LAN connection went down all the time. It was particularly bad the first time. We lost connection just about everyday. It usually came back within an hour, but we had a few that lasted overnight. I hear the issue continues today. If you're taking an online quiz that you have to finish on that session once you start, don't take it in McNary.

• Though McNary is an old building, it is definitely different than Wilson and Callahan, the other two residence halls in the McNary Complex. One of the main perks of this residence hall is the modular furniture. As opposed to some other residence halls on campus, McNary's rooms have furniture that can be rearranged and beds that can be bunked. Buxton, Halsell, Hawley, McNary, Weatherford, West, and Wilson 4th floor are the halls on campus that offer this type of arrangement. Because this furniture is newer and more recent than other set-ups on campus, the rooms in McNary have a more attractive and updated look than many other residence halls. McNary also has electronic access with a special card to get into the building instead of traditional keys, although the most conveniently located west side entrance by the smoothie shop does not work very well. It usually takes more than one tries to get the proxy reader to successfully unlock the door.

• Another advantage might go unnoticed, but can be a definite perk to anyone who has had to spend time in several different dorms: The shower stalls have a curtain inside of them. This means that within the stall you have your own personal place to undress and to keep things dry as opposed to leaving things out in a common area and being forced to dash out and grab your towel. After spending lots of time in dorm showers where the only barrier between you and the rest of the bathroom was a curtain, this is definitely a step up! Though it still doesn't beat the residence halls that have their own bathroom. The bathrooms are typically clean, but they each have their own problems. The dirtiest bathroom is the fourth floor men's room. The kitchenettes on each floor can be a problem also. Often times students will leave unclean dishes from the dining hall in there and inveriably an RA will be forced to lock the kitchen out of spite. The dumpster outside by the "Bike Corral" is typically overloaded by the end of the week.

• Though this dorm is the Honors College residence hall, it is not always quiet with people studying. While there are study rooms on each wing, if people are being loud in the hallway, anyone on the wing will be able to hear it. This may be a perk for those who wish to spend a lot of time being social with their hall mates, but may be a draw back to anyone who is trying to study or sleep. The largest advantage of living in "McNerdy" as it is typically called is the student base. As this is the Honors dorm, most everyone is extremely intelligent and very friendly. This is helpful in the fact that it is like living in a building full of personal tutors: everyone can at least try to help you with any trouble you might have with homework. The different major groups will typically band together out of mutual need for assistance and a mutual hate for their work. Sadly, the disparity between their work and the work of business majors leads to a strong animosity and envy of their colleagues in the College of Business.

• One drawback to this residence hall are the typical small, rectangular rooms. Many halls on campus have this type of floor plan, but there are some with varying floor plans that offer more space and feel more livable. McNary also has only one men's and women's bathroom for each floor, with one on each wing. The east wing of the third floor has been designated as girls only, referred to as the "nunnery" or the "McNunnery". This can be very inconvenient if you are a female and you live on the wing with the male bathroom.

• I lived in McNary 05-06. Probably the biggest problem was the space issues, which can be fixed slighty by clever loft usage. However, even with lofts me and my roommate felt a bit cramped inside the room. Another problem to McNary was the internet going down, which could be problematic when needing to check BlackBoard for exam dates and locations, and often the internet wouldn't come back on until the next day. My final gripe was that I wasn't an honor student and I was put in McNary, which doesn't seem to bad until you are told to be quiet on a semi-regular basis, and you never get to mingle in the halls as much as you would want. There are perks to McNary though! Location is one of them. Since McNary Central is just a minute away, food is always at hand even if laziness strikes you. Also the open courtyard in front of McNary Central is a nice place to sit and burn away an afternoon. I guess the "nunnery" is also cool if your hall is reeking of too much testosterone and you need a place that doesn't smell like sweat.
• McNary Information

Poling

• Poling Hall, along with Cauthorn was completed in 1957. As far as I know, these two dorms have not had major renovation to date. Hawley and Buxton are almost as old, but they have been renovated 1998-2000 ish. New for Fall 2006, UHDS will be offering term-by-term contract for Poling rooms.

• One really nice thing about Poling is that it is located in the quad with Buxton, Cauthorn and Hawley. They are located in the center of the campus. You are never that far away from any of the buildings. Some of the other dorms are located at one end of the campus or another so you may have to walk all across campus to get to one of your classes. It is also located really close to Reser Stadium. From the room I currently live in I can look right into the stadium. If you are able to get a double as a single you will have a pretty nice size room.

• If you get a single or have a roommate things are going to be really cramped. The desks and the closets are built into the wall so you are stuck with the layout of the room. Poling is in need of being remolded. The carpets inside are disgusting. In every room I have been in there has been at least one stain that was there before the current resident. The ceilings look as if they are forty years old and are full of holes. They have put new ceilings in the hallways, but the only thing that did was make peoples voice echo down the hall making a huge problem with noise.

• Other than Polings location on campus and having a nice size room if you are living alone poling is a horrible place to live. The building is run down and in need of being remolded. If you want to live on campus Poling should be a last resort.(unfortunately, it is the only place you can get term-by-term contract at this time)

• Poling has the reputation of being the dorm in the worst condition on campus. Beware!

• I lived there and could only last one term. Nothing worth paying money for!

• The 5th floor dorm rooms have no solid ceiling, the insulation is exposed. Definately not something you want to wake up and look at every morning.

• I currently live in Poling Hall in a Double as a Single. I really enjoy it. Yes, it may be old and yes it may not be the most updated hall but there are many pluses. For example in Poling you can hang things relatively easy, with tacks and such with a much less risk of any penalties at check out. Another thing is over the years (as this is my second year in Poling) the people here tend to be extremely laid back for the most part and we get a pretty good mix of international students along with varying ages and students at different levels in school. Overall, I would have to say it is not as bad as described above. You make the best out of what you have and for me Poling allows me to make adjustments fairly easily. It is not the right choice for everyone, but it is definitely the right one for some and me.

• Poling Information

Personal Feedback on Poling

• I transfered to OSU half way through my freshman year and was put into Poling. At first I had a roommate and it was so cramped that I couldn't take it. We didn't have any personal space besides our desks there wasn't enough room for a TV or anything like that becuase the only place to put things was on the desk and I already had my computer there. Then however, I heard about having a double to myself so I jumped on the opportunity. I moved into a double in Poling but I was the only one who lived in it. It was nice to have my own space but it was still Poling. The desks and closets are old and rundown, the carpet is stained, and the bathrooms are just as bad. The showers are very small and dark becuase there is only one light in the bathroom and its in the middle so when you shut the shower curtain it gets darker in the shower. Also they are very cramped for space so you only have about enough room to turn around and thats about it. Overall if I had the opportunity to get out of Poling I would have jumped on it. It has to be the worst dorm on campus, even if you do get a double to yourself.

• I came in as a transfer student and picked almost every other Residence Hall except Poling. I thought Poling was going to be horrible at first, the rooms seemed small. On the plus side, was that it was located so close to the Dixon Rec Center, and the MU but it certainly didn't look as renovated inside as the other buildings in the Quad. However, in the end I ended up loving it. It was comfy and my roommate and I got along great, so we made sure our room was a comfy place to relax and do homework. I think you make the best with what you have and eventually it really doesn't matter what you hear about your building. Living on the top floor also was kind of nice, because I never had to hear anyone above me. One negative I would say is that the walls are very thin, so make sure your neighbors are cooperative and not too noisy, especially in the "after hours." In addition, I'm pretty sure there are better places to live on campus, but if for some reason you end up getting stuck in Poling, it doesn't turn out to be as bad as everyone says. If you make it a comfy living environment for you, it works.

• Poling Hall is not as bad as all these people are making it out to be. Sure, it may not have the aesthetics that the other halls have but to my knowledge it is the only dorm that has carpeted floors, which is very nice, especially in the cold months that take up the majority of the year here in Oregon. Poling also has some of the largest rooms on campus in my experience. But most importantly, it is one of the cheapest places to live on campus. As with anything in life, Poling is what you make of it, if you make friends and try to enjoy yourself, even the ugliest rooms on campus won't get your spirits down.

Sackett

• One of the more unique dorms at OSU. Larger size rooms compared to other dorms on campus with five different room styles. Newly remodeled with updated bathrooms, heating, and lighting. Does not have an elevator. Sackett Hall has a long history of being haunted by the ghost Brandy who died in room H-102. Sackett annually holds a haunted house for Halloween in the Haunted Catacombs raising money for either the hall or for charity. This year was very successful and included some great acting from residents who partook in the Haunted Catacombs. Another great feature of Sackett is all the lounge areas. It contains two televisions lounges, two study lounges officially, and much more table areas for study groups or playing board games. The current Resident Director is Dave Markel who is just finishing up his masters. To find pictures and more information about Sackett, visit their official website.

• The Haunted Catacombs of Sackett are on again this year!!! The catacombs will be thursday the 26th, friday the 27th, and saturday the 28th from 8 to 12 pm. This years house looks to be awesome and extremely scary. The cost will be 3 dollars per person, and 5 dollars with your dad. Come on by, we would love to scare you!!!!

• Sackett Information

Weatherford

• Weatherford is home to the Austin Entrepreneurship Program and located in the ideal location for on campus living. You are right next to the MU and very close to many of your classes. It is the most centrally located dorm on campus that many wish they had the opportunity to live at. The rooms are often quire cozy so you have to pack light, but it’s well worth it for the brand new facilities. You do not need to be a business or entrepreneurship major to live in the dorm, but there is an application that you will find is well worth your time. There is a large TV room, game room, indoor bike storage, piano room, study rooms, lounges in every hall, and so much more. Weatherford even has its own Café for your extreme convenience. The internet is fast, you get extended cable and phone, even though you’re never going to use a land line. Best of all, is the co-ed by room living situation. Every other room was co-ed.

• Clean, newly remodeled and very crammed living spaces. Looks like a castle from the outside. Has a very nice theater room and small library for studying.

• As of the downfalls, there were very few. The mail was in an out of the way location for checking on a daily basis. In the same regard, there is only one laundry room in the center of the bottom floor. It takes a lot of effort to get you laundry there, cleaned, and back to your room. The game room would often find pool balls missing or the room would be ‘taken away’ because of garbage being left around, and the room would be locked. Other than forgetting my ‘fob’ (or key) in my room a few times with atomic locking doors behind me, my experience was wonderful. It is a short walk to the nearest dining center, but a small price to pay for the wonderful living conditions. I strongly recommend you make every effort possible to get into this newly renovated dorm.

• It if one of the nicer looking ones on campus, but the close quarters leave a lot to be desired. You are living on top of each other in the rooms, so hopefully you get along with your roommate, otherwise it could prove to be a very long year. The kitchen downstairs is nice, but usually not clean. There is a laundry room, but you will need to learn when is and isn't a good time to do laundry. There is a sauna, but I never had a desire to use it, plus they closed it halfway through the year because it almost caused a fire to the building. The theater room and game room is nice, but they are usually messy and in use. Weatherford is the only dorm on campus to have mailed delivered directly to the dorm which is nice. You only have to walk down to the ground floor to get your mail instead of having to leave your building. Bing's is also located in the building. It's a good place to go to grab a quick snack, but they do not offer much in terms of food and if you are in a hurry, you might want to avoid it.

• I've lived in Finley and West and Weatherford is definitely the best! You can't beat the location on campus, although the rooms vary greatly in size. Some rooms are doubles that look like they should be singles, and some rooms look like apartments! Also because of the weird shape of the building, the some rooms have extra-high ceilings, and interesting-shaped rooms. But the halls are very well kept up, bathrooms cleaned everyday. The only thing I miss is from West is my semi-private bathroom! Walking down the hall past TWO men's rooms just to get to the women's is silly. Chatting in the hallway with random people while in my robe is not my definition of fun. But as far as choosing a dorm, I definitely say Weatherford is the choice, after you live here, you won't be able to live anywhere else! With its library, sauna, theater room, and kitchen, I'd say that it's amenities are reason enough! Try to get a triple as a double!

• Weatherford Information

West

• Newly remodeled and clean. International students keep things interesting and gives you a chance to better culture yourself.

• I lived there last year, and having your own bathroom is great! You don't have to walk down the hall with your shampoo in your robe, which is nice. Having a sink was great, I didn't know how much I used it until I don't have it anymore...as for interacting with international students, in my experience, they were all concentrated on the first and second floors so you'll have to make an effort to interact with them. But having weekly emphases on different parts of the world helped, with people from their respective countries making a presentation in the lobby, with food and music was pretty cool. The 5th floor was supposed to be a quiet floor, which is why I chose it, but apparently that was dumb because everyone but me knew that it was the party floor. Lots of noise with people running up and down the halls and people who like to drink and party. That, and sometimes when you open your window, you get a strong whiff of fertilizer...ick. Closest to the animal pens, I guess.

• I lived in West Dormitory for one term at the end of my freshman year. There are many positives to living in West and very few downfalls. It was literally a 45 second walk from my room on the third floor to the eating complex next door (depending on how hungry and fast you are). It is very quiet and clean and is filled with interesting and fun international students. You share a bathroom with your neighbors and have your own sink. It is much larger then most of the rooms in Callahan or Mcnary. On the downside, it can be harder to meet other freshman in a nicer dorm like this, where typically upperclassman would rather stay.

• I lived in West International Hall during my freshmen year at Oregon State University. I’d have to say that the beginning of the term was the hardest. I lived in the quiet floor (4th floor) and the majority of the students were international students from Japan. Although West is a very spacious and a nice living place, the one thing that was a downfall in socializing with people was that we could never keep our doors open. It was a fire hazard for students to leave their doors open, unlike the dorms in Finley and Bloss where everyone left their doors open. I found myself staying at my friend’s dorm in Bloss more often than West because my floor was so quiet or students were constantly studying (which isn’t a bad thing). The international students were very nice, but they were a lot shyer. Most of the American students weren’t even at their rooms either; I would see them at Bloss. I guess they had the same idea. The last two terms were a lot better. The second term is when students would move around within the dorms so there were students from Finley that moved into West mainly because the facilities were a lot nicer or they wanted a quiet place.

What I really loved about living at West was that the West Dinning Center was right below the dorm. The store EBGB’S is open till 12 a.m. and serves a variety of ice cream flavors. I also enjoyed the fact that the Dixon Rec Center is also only down the road.

I would recommend this dorm if it you are the type of person who enjoys quiet places. Even if you are very sociable or like to party, this can still be the place for you. I found it to be good because I could go over to Bloss to do the loud socializing stuff, but when I wanted my own quiet down-time I could always go back to West.

• West Information

Wilson

• Also old and dreary like McNary, and filled with similar people. Lots of Engineers! Same furniture as Callahan.
• A major downfall of Wilson is that the furniture is stationed, meaning it cannot be moved in a way different then it is when you

arrive.

• Most of the dorms are in a place where every side of the building gets a decent view of campus. Wilson however, is very different. On the north side of the east wing, the side of Wilson I currently live in, faces an ugly roof of Mcnary Central and the back-end of the Mcnary dorms.
• The smell is one of the major downfalls of the Wilson atmoshphere. On the weekdays, you constantly get the smell from Mcnary central(the cafateria center that serves Callahan,Wilson, and Mcnary). Your room often smells of greasy food that the vents release through out the day.
• Wilsons lounge seemed to get the short stick of everything. The television is quite smaller compared to the other lounges. The pool tables and ping-pong tables are sub-par to Mcnarys'.
• I loved wilson hall. It's one of those un-scary halls, which is a good thing. The people there are great. One of the good things about wilson is that it's always quite. I can study or do other things and it wouldnt be a problem.
• Wilson does have a very different and kind of weird smell, the avtivity equiptment is very dull when compared to McNary's and yes there really is no view really worth seeing no matter which window or angle you are looking out from. Although it may seem and may actually be that Wilson has more bad than good qualities, I will never look at it as being "bad." Living there my first year at Oregon State University made a permanent impression of happiness and good times. I made so many new friends, and had a great roommate. I will never forget those times, and with it will never forget Wilson Hall.

• Wilson Information

• More information can be found at the Oregon State University Housing and Dining Services Website