With the housing reservation process starting today, now is the time to pick the best dormitories for next year. When selecting the perfect residence hall, there are many aspects to consider: location, distance from classes, quality of building and, above all, wall thickness. A tricky process for sure, all it takes is one lottery number to place a student in a dream room in Watson Hall or in eternal social banishment on Mount Olympus. So be sure to have multiple backup options, pick friends with good lottery numbers and no matter the result, pack ear plugs for those extremely thin walls.

Watson Hall

Watson is centrally located near E.S. Bird Library, Schine Student Center and the Quad. The residence hall contains open-doubles, quads and even six-person townhouse suites that make it an ideal location for upperclassmen to live. Watson is not available for freshman, which gives it a more mature vibe. One of its downfalls comes from not having a dining hall, but Ernie Davis Dining Center is right across Comstock Avenue. To make up for its lack of dining facilities, Watson is equipped with a convenience store that sells microwavable meals and snacks.

‘It’s a great location, but the building is confusing and the walls are paper-thin — I have no desire to know how often my neighbors get laid.’ Jorie Richlin-Zack sophomore business major

Haven Hall

Though Haven is a little farther away from campus than other residence halls, it still houses 372 students in split-doubles, singles and four-person suites that contain four single rooms and a common room. Each floor holds a lounge for hanging out with friends or studying, as does the main floor. Haven just closed its dining center, so most students now have to walk to Ernie Davis to reach the closest dining facility, but it does have a coffee machine and nicely sized rooms that attract both upperclassmen and lowerclassmen.

‘Haven Hall is one of the most convenient locations to live on the Syracuse campus. Although it is considered an older dorm, I think Haven is a nice and comfortable dorm to live in. I would definitely consider living in Haven again next year.’ Alyssa Cashman freshman business major

DellPlain Hall

A neighbor to the newly built Ernie Davis Hall, DellPlain Hall allows its residents to share Ernie Davis’ new facilities. DellPlain houses 436 students on its eight floors. The dorm offers open-doubles, split-doubles, singles and quads, as well as two- and four-person suites. The first floor of the facility sports a kitchen available for student use, but that doesn’t make up for its missing dining center or convenience store.

‘It’s close to everything. I would definitely recommend it to other people to live there. The bathrooms are nicer than a lot of other dorms’ and there’s an ATM in the basement, which is convenient.’ Melissa Cole sophomore education major

Marion Hall

Although it is one of the smaller residence halls on campus, Marion must not be ignored. Standing at 305 Waverly Ave. in the shadow of Watson Hall, Marion is located near Kimmel Hall, Ernie Davis Hall, two parking garages and the greek houses of Walnut Park. At just three floors high, Marion houses 143 freshmen and sophomores. The alternating coed rooms are open-doubles. In the basement, Marion conveniently has a small gym and laundry area, though both are in need of a facelift. If residents learn how to use an indoor voice, Marion would be perfect, but until then, it can get a little loud. The walls are thin and anything spoken in the courtyard or by a neighboring room might as well be said over a loudspeaker.

‘Because the location is perfect, I can’t ask for anything better.’ Katie Van Brunt sophomore nutrition major

South Campus

Located 2.5 miles away from Main Campus, the South Campus apartments are ideal for those looking for a personal bathroom, private bedroom and kitchen. While there is no buffet-style dining center, residents can purchase their meals market-style at Goldstein Student Center’s food court or at the South Campus Express mini grocery store. While taking a bus to and from classes can be inconvenient, the ability for residents to have a car at their apartments makes up for it.

‘Living on South is kind of like living on your own: no RA, your own space and not much noise at night like in a dorm hall.’ Danielle House junior economics and policy studies major

Brewster, Boland and Brockway halls

Traveling to and from this three-dorm complex can feel like quite the odyssey. However, if the constant calf-burning workout of walking up the College of Law steps can be overlooked, the actual residence halls were renovated only a few years ago, the rooms look beyond average and they are well furnished. Most rooms are split-doubles, which are comparatively small to the other offering on campus. For any foursome looking for a suite next year, BBB’s suites offer generous amounts of floor space, complete with two open-doubles and a common room.

‘Walking down the law steps to BBB sucks because it can get really windy.’ Mike Freise freshman film major

Shaw Hall

Located on Comstock Avenue, Shaw Hall offers one of the most convenient locations for party hoppers. Offering open-doubles and singles, Shaw offers a basic yet slightly cramped living experience. The bathrooms, on the other hand, are a different story. A little renovation wouldn’t hurt the aging facility’s unappealing look. Beyond the dated bathrooms, the Shaw experience is certainly not a negative one. The hall has its own dining facility, and with the arrival of Ernie Davis, Shaw’s dining center should no longer be overcrowded. While there are better choices on campus, Shaw’s location certainly makes it nicer than other offerings.

Booth Hall

Some students view Booth Hall as the ugly sister of DellPlain Hall. Booth has eight floors for its 261 residents and offers views of Thornden Park, Syracuse and Lake Onondaga. It is also a very short walk from both Marshall Street and Main Campus. On the downside, Booth is on top of a steep hill. It is one of the highest points on the Hill beside Mount Olympus.

‘It’s a chore to get up it like 10 times a day.’ Victoria Campbell freshman management major

Ernie Davis Hall

Ernie Davis is the newest edition to SU’s collection of residence halls. It houses 250 students and seats 500 in its dining center, in addition to having a gym facility. But Ernie Davis fire alarms are notorious for going off at all hours of the day and night.

‘Everything is inside, it’s convenient to go to the gym and dining hall.’ Jessica LoVerso junior psychology major

Kimmel Hall

While known for its late-night food court, Kimmel Hall on Waverly Avenue houses 113 students in open-doubles. Because of the dorm’s small size, Kimmel residents create a strong community. The hall has a convenient location, a plus when traveling to class, the library or parties off campus.

‘The dorm is kind of small, but I felt that was easier to get to know everyone. I’ve found some good friends here, so I’ve enjoyed the experience.’ Justin Kwasnik freshman computer engineering major

Published on March 22, 2010 at 12:00 pm