Dorm Sociology

Dorm life is often seen as an essential component to the college experience. It is commonly known to contain nights of alcohol and opposite-sex smuggling. It can be the site of late-night lobby parties centered around pingpong and slice-and-bake cookies. It can be the place where lifelong friends are made.

While dorm life means something different for every Auburn student, the three living communities--the Quad, the Village and the Hill--have developed their own distinct cultures.

"There's always something going on," said Sara Firnac, freshman in undeclared liberal arts. "We'll just be out here playing frisbee or something, and people will just come up and join."

Firnac lives in Little Hall in the Upper Quad.

For Firnac, community and convenience are the themes that define the Quad.

"It's close together," said Maggie Scott, freshman in prearchitecture. "A lot of people in the Quad, especially the upper Quad, are in the Honors College, so I have classes with people."

Scott also lives in Little and said she is glad a connection can be made between class and her residence hall.

The Upper Quad has evolved during recent years to consist almost exclusively of Honors students, and Firnac and Scott said a clear sense of community has developed.

Indeed, a walk through the Quad often features whizzing frisbees and spiraling footballs as others study or picnic atop blankets. If there was ever a classic dorm experience, the Quad is it.

The Village is Auburn's newest living community.

Completed at the beginning of the 2009-2010 academic year, the Village is dominated by the two sorority quads which feature lavish chapter rooms and apartment-style dorms that house hundreds of sisters.

"It's beautiful," said Morgan Grace Deason, sophomore in elementary education. "For chapter, everything is downstairs. We have our own kitchen, and 40 of your best friends are right there."

Kristen Stallings, sophomore in prenursing, said the close proximity of so many sororities works to keep a sense of unity among them.

"It would be fun to have a house, and that would get you really into your own house, but here we're all together," Stallings said.

Jordan Tanner, undeclared sophomore, said privacy is a great aspect of the Village dorms, which usually include four single rooms with a living room and kitchenette in the center for gathering.

"I love that you can go room to room and still have that hall experience, the dorm experience, but you can still close your door if you get tired of dealing with people," Tanner said.

While the Quad and Village have distinct personalities, the Hill is harder to define.

A mixed bag of Honors students, Greek pledges and anyone who didn't get into the other two living communities, students on the Hill are not always particularly pleased with the living situation.

Patrick Mathis, freshman in pre-engineering, said the Hill lacks the modern zeal of the Village and the community of the Quad.

"I only know like 10 people who live in Graves," Mathis said.

In addition to his displeasure with the social feel of the community, Mathis also said standards of behavior and cleanliness are lackluster at best.

"Someone puked in two of the three staircases last week, and no one cleaned it up," Mathis said.

Mathis said alcohol consumption is widespread in his building and that residents often walk freely among the halls with drinks in hand.

Mathis' suitemate, undeclared freshman Reid Knight, said he originally requested to be in the Quad, but wound up on the Hill.

He said he feels that most students on the Hill are there by second choice.

Regardless of their feelings about their living situation, Mathis and Reid are thankful to be suitemates.

They've taken their friendship beyond the dorm and pledged the same fraternity.

Perhaps stereotyped, perhaps real, the "cultures" of Auburn's dorms take on personalities of their own and provide a stark contrast to each other.

For Mathis at least, things stay interesting.

"It smells different every day," he said.