Dorm Wars: Which One is the Best?

Roncalli Hall, one of the freshman dorms at Sacred Heart University.
Roncalli Hall, one of the freshman dorms at Sacred Heart University. Photo by Hannah O’Brien/Spectrum.

By Meliha Gutic

Staff Reporter

Sacred Heart University is home to over 4,500 full time undergraduate students and a majority of them live in campus housing. The university has nine dormitories, and each one of them houses a different class.

Many students live in campus housing, which allows them to get the full college experience, one that can be especially rewarding.

“I would say Oakwood was my favorite because there aren’t four people to one fridge and it also feels the most homey. I liked Seton too because of its location, but in this case, Oakwood wins,” said junior Caroline Welch.

Oakwood is apartment-style living that is home to juniors and seniors. It typically houses two people per room, but some rooms house four.

Like Oakwood, there are three other options for upperclassmen: Pioneer Gardens, Park Ridge, and Taft Commons. All three consist of apartments, but Park Ridge also has townhouses.

The thing about these dorms is that they are a little further from campus. There are options closer to campus, such as Roncalli Hall or Christian Witness Commons (CWC), or as some students call it, North.

“My favorite dorm that I’ve lived in was North/CWC. It is extremely close to the Martire building, which is where I had all of my classes, and my suite there consisted of all my closest friends so it was nice to have them around me,” said senior Kristen Maurer.

CWC houses sophomores with around 11 to 12 students per suite. It contains a fitness center and the coffeehouse, Holy Grounds.

Roncalli on the other hand, is a freshmen dorm right across from campus and also features a gym inside. It even provides a floor for honors students.

Sacred Heart has many on campus dorms housing both freshmen and sophomores, such as Seton Hall, Merton Hall, Scholars Commons, and Bergoglio Hall. These dorms are ideal due to their proximity to everything on campus. The ability to get anywhere on campus without taking a shuttle is favorable to students.

“Seton was my favorite dorm because I was close to everything on campus and felt more involved in everything by living there,” said junior McKenzie DeGroot.

Seton Hall houses over 400 freshmen and Merton houses over 300 freshmen. Its location makes it accessible to everything on campus and is ideal for first year students while they become accustomed to life as a college student. Scholars Commons is located behind Campus Field and is the home for 300 sophomores and is considered apartment-style as well.

The newest building, Bergoglio Hall, is the brand new dorm for over 200 sophomores. It consists of pods and inside there is a Cross Fit gym and a video game room.

“I like the Berg because it has bigger and quieter rooms, and it also gives you a chance to get closer with friends in the suite style living,” said sophomore Nicole Perin.

But to have a successful dorming experience, it begins with the staff of RSA’s. They are the ones that help you transition from home life to dorm life.

“My RSA right now is my favorite because she’s so genuine and makes an honest effort to know and help you,” said Welch.

Sacred Heart offers many options, but it seems that no matter where you end up living, a great experience is bound to happen.

“Each dorm has its pros and cons, it’s about where you are the most comfortable,” said Welch.

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