Students Care More About Who They Live With Than Where

by Shelby McGuire

Dorm selections for the 2018-2019 school year are quickly approaching, and it’s time for students to start thinking about where they want to live–or rather, who they want to live with. The deciding factor for dorm selections for most students is the community.

For some, dorm selections are a no brainer–they’ve had the perfect room in their favorite dorm for the past few years, and they aren’t moving an inch. Others, however, are ready for a change and a new environment. Several students were willing to share why certain dorms caught their eye and what they enjoy about their dorm’s community.

Many freshmen have to choose a dorm somewhat blindly, and are not sure what to expect. But once they spend a year on campus, they gain a better understanding of what they are looking for in a dorm community.  

Lia DeCoste, a freshman nursing major, has spent the past year in Willets. She said that, while it wasn’t her first choice, she’s really gotten to enjoy the group of other freshman girls in her hall.

“We’ve gotten really close to the girls next door and it has been so much fun,” DeCoste said. “[the other girls] came knocking on our door the very first day, and now we hangout all the time.”

Although she has had a good experience in Willets, DeCoste said she is open to trying out a new dorm next year. She explained that it would be exciting to try out a new dorm to meet new people and have a different community experience.

DeCoste’s roommate, Corinne Chadwell says she would enjoy moving to a dorm like Johnson because the rooms are bigger and the building looks newer.

“Johnson also seems to have a good community,” Chadwell said, “and we have a lot of friends in St. Clair so it would be fun to share a lounge with them.”

Some students develop deep ties and loyalty to a particular dorm after having a good experience there and wouldn’t dream of leaving.

Sophomore journalism major Joshua Stevens is going on year three in Brock. He has been a loyal member of the Brock community since freshman year when a friend invited him to live there.  

“The guys in Brock all have a strong sense of community. In the last two years, I’ve seen tremendous growth within my hall and within the dorm as a whole,” Stevens said. He also said that he would highly recommend someone to live in Brock because of the Christ-centered community within its walls.

Graduating senior youth ministry major Ryan Liming has fond memories of McChesney, his home of four years. He encourages students looking for a new dorm to consider McChesney.

Liming’s favorite thing about McChesney is the people. He describes it as a diverse community that includes a group of diverse guys of all different ages, majors, and personalities.

After his freshman year, Liming wanted to become an RA in McChesney because he felt that McChesney was “not historically known for being a community oriented dorm,” and he wanted to change that. During his three years as an RA, Liming made community building his top priority.

“I wanted to create a space where guys could come and be a part of community, and I felt like God had given me some skills to be a catalyst for building that community,” he said.

Choosing a dorm is choosing a community and choosing a place that can feel like home.

“It’s really cool to have a place that you can make your own,” Chadwell said, “a place that you can decorate and have your friends over, or you can go to be by yourself and take a nap or do homework.”

Shelby McGuire is a Freshman Journalism major and writer for Cedars. She enjoys drinking tea, crocheting scarves, and power lifting.