<p>My S decided on Ruef. He didn’t want an all freshman dorm and he didn’t care about the lack of A/C or carpeting. Its close to classes (business and economics) and the Marquis dining hall. I thought I’d share with the other CCers two of the e-mails he received from current Laf students with their advice on housing but first I would refer anyone who needs info to two of Justin’s posts with extensive info on the various choices:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=1784974#post1784974[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=1784974#post1784974</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=1741371#post1741371[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=1741371#post1741371</a></p>
<p>S received this advice in an e-mail from a student currently living in Ruef:
Ruef has been a pretty good dorm to live in. A fairly decent amount of
partying goes on in Ruef, but I’ve always been able to study in my room
without any problems at all. Overall, Ruef has been a good living experience
for me. It’s very convenient to have the Marquis dining hall right next door,
especially in bad weather. Also, Ruef is pretty close to most of the buildings
where classes are held. As far as other dorms are concerned, Easton Hall is
fairly similar to Ruef. South has the reputation for being a party dorm, and
the vast majority of room partying does go on in South. It can get very loud
over there on the weekends, but in general it is still quiet enough most of
the time to get work done in my opinion. Gates and McKeen are fairly run-down and not very nice inside, I think McKeen is being redone sometime soon, but they still aren’t that bad. I don’t really know much about PT Farinon or Conway, all I know is that they house only freshmen and probably promote a fairly tight-knit community atmosphere. I’ve also never heard of any real partying going on in them. Keefe and Watson Halls both have wellness lifestyle floors in them if you are interested in that, but apparently the other floors in those dorms are nice too. I hope this helps you decide, I’m sure you’ll really like Lafayette no matter where you decide to live.</p>
<p>This e-mail is from a member of one of the a capella groups that S contacted:
While there may be opportunities to live with singers in your later
years at Lafayette, there is not a designated residence hall for
musically inclined freshmen. One thing you may want to take into
account is that the majority of the a capella groups practice inside the
Kirby Dorm (which is very nice, newly renovated w/ marble floors etc.)
and it is right across from the Williams Center (the arts building where
professional groups perform, the music classes are taught and the
ensembles rehearse). Kirby is also air conditioned and all male. Kirby
however is in the process of being renovated due to some minor
structural problems and I am unsure if it will be ready or not for the
fall. I however would strongly suggest living in Ruef hall. Despite
its somewhat dingy appearance and confusing architecture, it houses over
100 freshmen (co-ed), and is a great way to meet people and make
friends. The rooms are also a decent size, and if you come up with a
medical excuse (allergies, asthma or something of the sort) you could
get an air conditioner for your window. I lived in Ruef my freshman
year and loved every minute of it, as does just about everyone who has
ever lived there. While Ruef is located more towards the back-central
end of campus, it is really a 5 minute walk to just about anywhere else
on campus. If you’re looking for a smaller, more intimate setting, I
would choose either PT farinon or Conway.
I hope you find some of that information at least a little bit
helpful in choosing a residence hall. I wouldn’t worry about
necessarily living with singers because you will have many opportunities
to meet them during rehearsals. If you have any more questions, don’t
hesitate to drop me an e-mail. I look forward to meeting you and
hopefully I’ll see you at one of our shows.</p>