The only dorm which smelled when I attended Oberlin was a house notorious for having residents who didn’t shower for long periods because they wanted to maintain their perception of neo-hippie cred…and those students on average came from the wealthiest families by SES background.
However, that hasn’t been the case for ~15 years according to younger alums as that dorm has since cleaned up their act.
As for dark…none of the dorms/houses I stayed in fit that description. Plenty of light…especially when the sun was out. .
If I may ask, which dorm was it that you and your family visited?