There's no place like home, and there are no dorms like The Village.
After one semester of housing Auburn students, the new facility proves to be the favorite for on-campus living.
With the choice of two, three or four bedroom suites, students said these residences are like apartments, only better.
"It's just like an apartment, really, but you don't have to worry about utilities or water, it's just all in one price," said Jake Padgett, freshman in bio-systems engineering.
The separated rooms, open living area and kitchen define The Village, while the other housing areas on campus, The Hill and The Quad, have two types of rooms: single or
double. Sarah Grimes, junior in
accounting, said The Village was her favorite dorm on campus.
"I've lived in The Quad, The Hill and The Village, and it's definitely an upgrade compared to the rest of them," Grimes said. "It's very convenient to get to campus, and it's really nice having your own room and kitchen."
Padgett, a resident of Talon Hall, said he appreciates the privacy of The Village.
"I like having my own room in a dorm," Padgett said. "If I don't want to deal with my roommates or I want to study or something, I can just close the door."
The Village consists of eight residence halls and a new dining hall, where students can sit at tables and watch television while
they grab a cup of coffee or a quick bite to eat.
Kavandra Spears, an employee of Caribou Coffee, works at The Village location.
"I love working here," Spears said. "It's more relaxed. The customers we get are mostly from the dorms."
Not all aspects of The Village meet the residents' approval.
Jaclyn Shanahan, freshman in microbiology, does not approve of The Village's visitation policy.
"Visitation hours are only from noon to mid- night," Shanahan said, "I just don't agree with them telling me who can be with and at what hours of the day if I'm being responsible and my roommates are OK with it."
Shanahan said she did appreciate the privacy of The Village.
Many students are planning on living there for an- other year."Yeah, I probably will live here next year," Padgett said. "It's brand new. Everything works, everything's fine."
Most suites at the Village are four-bedroom and two-bathroom and are furnished with numerous amenities, including a dining table with two chairs, sofa, microwave, refrigerator and cabinet space, not things expected to be found in a typical dormitory.
Padgett said there were more opportunities for privacy in The Village than in other the dorms on campus.
"A lot of my friends live at The Hill or The Quad, and they have to deal with a roommate staying up late or stuff like that," Padgett said.
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