I realized the stigma of living on Alderman Road early in my first semester when a friend observed, "Oh -- you live in 'New Dorm.'"
Au contraire, my confused friend. Despite what some Old Dormers may believe, New Dorms is not a singular entity apart from McCormick Road where the University hides the socially awkward, the out-of-staters and the Echols Scholars, but it is, in fact, an entirely separate residence area much like Old Dorms, except that it has suites and is a farther walk from the Corner at 3 a.m. on a Friday.
Old Dormers may have noticed the brick buildings reminiscent of sleazy 1970s era motels on their way to O-Hill Dining Hall or the Aquatic & Fitness Center. This collection of unsightly buildings is the Alderman Road Residence area -- or "New Dorms" as it is more commonly known, despite the fact that it has been there for over 30 years.
New Dorms are generally viewed as being less conducive to socializing than Old Dorms, which is caused by two main factors: the suite setup and the absence of the quad. Rather than living on a hall with 40 other people, New Dormers live with eight or nine suitemates in five rooms that surround a common area. Although this setup makes it harder to meet other people in the dorm, everyone in the suite gets to know each other well. The girls in my suite, for example, have bonded over hours of reruns from "The OC" and "Sex and the City" in the common room, and even the occasional Old Dormer has ventured over to watch an episode.
Amid this beautiful spring weather, perhaps the biggest hardship for New Dormers is quad envy. While McCormick residents bask in the sun, throwing footballs or grilling outside with Jimi Hendrix blasting from a nearby room, we New Dormers huddle on the hill in front of Cauthen, struggling to catch a glimpse of the sun before it sets behind the Maupin building. True, we could walk over to the quad, but it's just not as convenient.
There are several advantages to New Dorms, however, that are often overlooked. Our proximity to O-Hill is especially appreciated on Saturday and Sunday mornings when we roll out of bed and walk to brunch. It's much easier to walk to breakfast in your pajamas at noon when you know you're not going to be seen by passing cars or tour groups. By the time you've woken up and become motivated enough to work out, the AFC is conveniently located right across the street, and for those who prefer Slaughter Gym, it is right behind New Dorms as well.
The bathrooms are better in New Dorms than Old Dorms because less people have to share them. Instead of providing four showers for 40 people, New Dorms have two for every 10 people, so there's rarely a line for the shower. I'll admit I was taken by surprise the first time I took a shower, when I looked over and saw the back of one of my suitemate's heads in the next stall over. As it turns out, you can have a nice little conversation while you lather, rinse and repeat, because the median between the two showers only reaches your chin. True, it's a little awkward at first, but it's a great way to get to know someone really quickly.
The individual rooms are also more convenient on Alderman because they are bigger and have more closet space. Each roommate in a suite-style room has an individual closet and shelving unit that is built into the wall, so it doesn't take up space in the room. The rooms also have large windows that span an entire wall, especially the corner room known as "the fishbowl" that faces the outside walkways. One downfall of dorm rooms on Alderman is that the walls are covered in sheetrock rather than cinder block, so fire regulations are very strict.
Regardless of the pros and cons of each residence area, residents of both New and Old Dorms would agree, at least we don't live in Hereford.
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