Race Hall

If you’re looking for a college dorming experience that’s a bit out of the ordinary when compared to traditional two-person rooms, then you might want to check out Race Hall. Opened in 2007 as a dorm for honors students, it extended this year to include incoming freshmen, as there was little room left to fit them into other dorms.

Suites
 
Each floor contains approximately nine four-person suites. A suite is made up of two individual bedrooms (each with two beds, two dressers, two desks, and two chairs), a common area (with a couch and chair), a kitchen area (with a sink, cabinets, and fridge), a bathroom (containing a toilet and shower), and a second closet shower. This is noticeably different from other freshman dorms, which are just a single bedroom. In Race Hall, you get so much more space to do what you want with. Most residents have stocked their common room with a TV and their fridge with as much food as they can get their hands on. Also, you can control the temperature in your suite, a feature many other dorms lack. Unfortunately, living with three other people increases the odds of having an inter-roommate conflict, so you have to be mature enough to solve such conflicts if they arise.

 Floor Setup


There are 11 floors in Race. They are co-ed, and alternate between guys and girls every suite, a distinct factor setting Race apart from other dorms. On each floor there is a kitchen with a fridge, chairs and tables, and stove and oven, because the suites themselves don’t come with anything to cook food in. At one end of the floor there is a common lounge with a TV, where residents of the floor can hang out and socialize. However, I’ve noticed that residents of a floor often won’t associate with any suites that aren’t relatively close to their own. At the other end is a much smaller lounge, designed to be used for studying. There is one RA per floor, whose room is right by the elevators. The RAs tend to be pretty nice and don’t punish students unless they really screw up.

Building Advantanges 

There are other features of Race that benefit the entire population of the residence hall. The 2^nd floor contains a small fitness center. While it doesn’t have anywhere near as much equipment as the athletic center on campus, it does have a small variety of cardio equipment and some standard weight-lifting machines. There are also free washers and dryers on the first floor. Unfortunately, there are not nearly enough to be able to serve the whole population of Race, and you may have to go during off hours to get a washer. Residents will also be noticeably impatient, removing someone else’s clothes from a washer or dryer if their cycle finished and the person wasn’t there to remove the clothes themselves. Lastly, there is a bike storage room located in the basement, so students that use bikes to traverse the campus will be able to store them in a safe location at night.

Front Desk Staff

The staff at the front desk is generally friendly and helpful. If you forgot your ID they will usually either let you walk straight in if they recognize you, or quickly look your picture up on the computer and confirm you live there. However, certain package hours are often inaccessible to students with later classes, making the retrieval of received packages more difficult.

 Cost

One of the definite things to note about living at Race Hall is that it is significantly more expensive than the other freshman residence halls. The cost is approximately $3000 per term, a couple hundred dollars more per term than other available dorms. But, if you have the extra money to shell out, then the benefits are great. You have an entire suite to do what you want, co-ed floors, a gym just a few floors away, and so many other things that make Race Hall a great place to live.

Calhoun Hall

Introduction:
Calhoun hall is one of the prominent buildings in Drexel campus. With its unique arch-shape and the huge size its truly is a site to behold. However unlike its architectural beauty and stunning front layout, residence life at Calhoun is quite unpleasant. I have only been to Calhoun a few times, however those few trips and some conversation with a few friends of mine who live there was enough to tell me what the dorm is really like.

Building layout, Room and Living Conditions:

Calhoun is part of the four traditional dorms that Drexel offers. Like the other dorms in the group, Calhoun also has two students per room with an RA on each floor. However unlike the other dorms in the group, with the exception of Myers, Calhoun has both boys and girls on the same floor but on separate wings. The unique arch-shape of Calhoun creates two wings across the arch with the elevators running at the centre of the building. Both the wings have their own kitchen, laundry rooms and communal bathrooms. The kitchen, laundry room and the communal bathroom are the same as discussed in the blog-post of Kelly hall. However unlike Kelly hall the bathroom is always quite dirty with a host of problems that begin at clogged showers and overflowing toilets but do not end there. A resident of Calhoun, who has spoken to me on condition of anonymity, has stated that he usually uses the bathroom in buildings where he has classes rather than the bathroom at his dorm because the bathroom there is so dirty (quote). Also unlike all the other dorms, the furniture in the rooms at Calhoun are bolted in place and cannot be rearranged according to one’s will. This sometimes distresses students who prefer to arrange and organize their rooms in their own way. Another student, on the condition of anonymity, has stated how because she cannot arrange her desk and her living space to way she was used to at home, she has a tough time concentrating on her studies when she tries to study in her room (quote).

Building facilities, service and staff:

All said and done, Calhoun is considered to be the chilliest dorm at Drexel. It is the “happening” dorm at Drexel. With co-ed floors and lax rules the party and noise is always on. So if you are one of those serious kind, looking for some peace and quiet to hit the books, then stay clear of Calhoun since this hall has a reputation for party and a high drop-out rate.
The front desk staff at Calhoun, like any other residence hall at Drexel, is friendly, helpful and courteous. They are staffed 24-7 to help its residents and provide security to the building. Like other halls, you will require to either scan in to Calhoun or sign-in any other non-resident student.

Advantages of Calhoun:
However Calhoun sort of makes up for all its lacking with its location. It is a block closer to the centre of the campus than the other dorms and it has the tennis and beach volleyball courts right across it. Also the importance of each floor having its own laundry can never be underestimated. A few of this perks make life bearable at Calhoun.

Personal Opinion:

Being a student who requires absolute quiet and peace when I study, I definitely would have had a very hard time at Calhoun. If you are like me, than I would not recommend this hall to you. However if you are looking for a fun filled atmosphere and feel you need a place to chill and relax after your classes, and you would prefer that place to be your dorm room, than Calhoun is the place for you, because that is the place where it is at.

Kelly Hall

Introduction:
Kelly Hall, is one of Drexel university’s oldest residence. However its age is no indication of its condition and service. Opened in honor of the late Ralph Kelly, the dorm is still in top condition and shows no sign of age. Plenty of reviews online speak of leaking showers, over-flowing toilets and clogged basins. Some reviews also speak about pest problems in the hall, which include but are not limited to, bed bugs and cockroaches and mice. However all such claims are unfounded. Maybe Kelly hall experienced such problem in years past, however after its recent renovation; no student can be found who will complain about any such issues.

Building layout, Rooms and Living condition:
Being one of the four traditional freshman dorms at Drexel, Kelly offers similar room and hall experience compared to Towers, Myers and Calhoun. It has 10 floors with each floor having 20 rooms, and two students in each room. Unlike Myers and Calhoun, the floors are single sex with alternating boys and girls floors. There is a resident advisor (RA) on each floor, who occupies one of the rooms. The RA’s are mostly really cool and fun. They are there to enforce the rules and ensure the well being of their residents. Each floor has a communal bathroom, a kitchen and a study lounge.

The communal bathroom has 6 basins and 4 toilet stalls and 6 shower stalls. Thinking about communal bathroom might send shivers down anyone spines, however you can rest assured that they are cleaned properly every morning on the weekdays. And there are no overflowing toilets or clogged showers.

The rooms in Kelly are decent sized, but can sometimes feel smaller than it really is, especially when both roommates are present in the room. However the furniture in the room is movable and can thus be arranged according to one’s comfort and to create space. Plus the rooms have their own air-conditioning and heating with adjustable temperature settings. This allows every room to have their own preferred settings.

The kitchen on each floor come equipped with a stove, oven and a refrigerator. But sometimes the RAs on some floors are nice enough to place a toaster and a microwave as well alongside the other things.

Kelly hall has a unique open door policy which the RAs encourage but is not imposed. This allows greater interaction and bonding between floor-mates and creates gives a taste of the true “dorming” experience.

Building facilities, service and staff:
The building has a study lounge in the basement and on the ground floor which provides quite areas for someone to study during midterm and final weeks when the library is overcrowded.

The basement is also the laundry area for the whole building. It comes equipped with 10 dryers and 10 washers. The small number of machines means that there is always a line for them, however that is not something a bit of careful time-tracking would not solve. Also in the basement there is a piano, foosball table, pool and a ping-pong table for the students’ recreation. The recreational facilities are perfect for the study break during stressful weeks and allow one to maintain a clear and healthy mind.

The building is staffed 24-7 with someone on the front desk. They provide security to the building, since anyone entering the building must either scan in or be signed in by a resident student. The front desk staffs also handle any complaints and issues and report it to the appropriate authorities for action. They are courteous and very friendly, and will help you adjust to life at Drexel with the occasional fun filled events that they organize.

Drawbacks:
The building has two elevators and hence sometimes there is a significant wait for elevators during rush hours, however this can be seen in most dorms with the exception of Myers, which does not have elevators due to its fewer floors. Overall Kelly hall is a simple residence with facilities and service rivaling any other dorms at Drexel. The other disadvantage to Kelly is its distance from the campus centre, dining hall and the library. One must walk around a kilometer to reach the centre of the campus, and on snowy or rainy day’s this can seem to be a herculean task.

Personal Opinion:
All of Drexel’s halls are far away from the campus centre, but Kelly alone makes up for it by having Northside dining, home to subway, Curritos and Chik-fil-a, right by its side. Being a resident of Kelly and having experienced its service and facilities first-hand I would recommend this hall to anyone without any hesitation. In my opinion Kelly hall and its staff provide a warm and loving environment similar to one’s home.

Myers Hall

Myers Hall is one of the older residence halls at Drexel University and is home to most of the learning communities. It was renovated in 2005 and is unlike most traditional dorms. It is the shortest dorm on campus with only three floors, but is by far, the widest and longest residence hall. Myers’ unique layout consists of separate wings with a central courtyard. It has the traditional room style with two students to a room. Males and females live on the same floor, but in separate wings of the building. Students with the same major typically live with each other. Their wing is also typically full of students in the same major. Each floor has two wings, a central area, lounges, communal bathrooms and showers, and full kitchens.

Layout

Myers Hall has a unique, sprawling layout with several wings on each floor. Each wing has a full kitchen, bathroom, laundry services, and a study/social lounge. The hallways are long and seemingly interminable. It can take some time to become familiar with the maze of a layout that Myers has. Navigating the building can take some getting used to. The first floor of Myers has an open lobby with vending machines, a game room, and a tutor lounge. The game room has a big screen TV, pin pong, and a pool table. Study sessions and social events are often held in the tutor lounge. The first floor also has a big courtyard that is open to all residents. It is a fun area to hang out and relax. Since it is only three stories tall, Myers does not have an elevator. 

Rooms

The rooms in Myers Hall are the second biggest out of any traditional style dorm rooms on campus. On average, they are 11 feet by 17 feet; this allows for a lot of space to bring in extra commodities. Each resident is given a bed, desk with a chair, wardrobe, and dresser. All of the furniture is moveable so they can be positioned however the resident feels. One of the nice things about the rooms in Myers is that every room has a large bay window area. This is very nice because it adds extra space and allows a lot of light into the room. The rooms all have self-regulating heating and air conditioning. The doors to each to do not shut and lock automatically like the ones in Kelly Hall. They can be left open or left shut and unlocked.    

Facilities

Each wing in Myers Hall has a communal bathroom. They contain toilets, sinks, and showers. They also have a full kitchen with table and chairs, lockers, stove, oven, freezer, and sink. One of the nice things about Myers is that it has a laundry room in each wing. This means that less people share the services and it is easier to do your laundry. It is very convenient because residents do not have to walk to communal laundry room. The washers and dryers are free, so students do not have to pay for them. There is big lounge in each wing that can double as a study or social meeting place. It has a big table and chairs so that residents can study.

Community

The layout of Myers’ floors allow for a lot of interaction between students. It gives the residents a sense of community. The fact that residents live in communities of students with the same major makes it a very nice atmosphere to live in. The learning communities also create a down side, however. There is no diversity of majors in the wing that residents live. This can mean that students do not spend much time with students outside their particular major.    

Myers Hall is home to about 400 students all together. The building is very secure like all the other residence halls and is well maintained. Students must scan their ID to enter the building and there is always staff working the front desk. The recent renovations have given Myers Hall a renewed, pleasant atmosphere. There is a community feel among the residents in Myers that is not present in other dorms on campus. It is located right in the middle of the residence halls and only a stone’s throw away from the North Side Dining Terrace. Its address is 3301 Race Street. The staff is very nice and makes for a pleasant place to live. Overall, Myers Hall is very nice and offers its residents a lot of advantages.

Millennium Hall

Millennium Hall is the newest and nicest of the freshman residence halls as Drexel University. It was opened in the fall of 2009 and so it is only a year old. It is home to mostly the Pennoni’s Honors College students, but also some students who are not in the honors college. Millennium is the tallest dorm on campus with 17 floors and has great views on the entire city. It is a very modern looking building with large windows and a metallic finish. It is the most visually appealing residence hall at Drexel University. Millennium has the traditional dorm rooms with two students per room and twenty rooms to a floor. Genders are separated by floor, so the floors are not coed. Students of all majors live on each floor. Each floor has two spacious lounges, private bathrooms, private showers, sinks, and a full kitchen.

Rooms

The rooms in Millennium are among the smallest in any of the residence halls at Drexel University. They are typically only 157 square feet. However, the ceilings are very tall and this makes the rooms not seem as small. Every room comes equipped two beds, dressers, desks, desk chairs, and wardrobes. All of the furniture is moveable; so the room can be set up however the students choose. Millennium has central heating and air conditioning, which cannot be controlled by the students. The rooms have large windows with great views on the city. However, these windows cannot be opened at all. The doors to all of the rooms automatically lock when they are closed, so it is important to remember to bring your key when you leave the room. Each room is supplied with a doorstop to prop the door open.

Facilities

The bathrooms in Millennium Hall can take some getting used to. They are private along with the showers. Each floor has six small bathrooms built like closets at one end of each of the corridors. At the other end of each corridor are six private showers, also built like closets. In the middle of each corridor there are three sinks and a large mirror. Each floor also has a handicapped bathroom with a large shower. This setup is nice and gives the students privacy, but at the same time is very different from traditional communal bathrooms.

Perks

The best part of each floor in Millennium is the lounges. Every lounge contains a flat screen television, a couple of tables with chairs, and several couches. They are big open spaces at both ends of each floor. Each lounge has a window wall with great views of the city. They are ideal places for kicking back and relaxing. The flat screen televisions make for a great movie screening. The floors in Millennium Hall are set up very nicely and well maintained. The narrow corridors and open lounges create a nice community feel and forces interaction between floor mates.    

Like all other residence halls, Millennium is very secure. Residents must scan their ID to enter the building and to again to get past the front desk. The staff is very nice and RA’s are very cool for the most part. The lobby of Millennium is very big with vending machines, a pool table, laundry room, three elevators and a study room. The laundry room is a little crowded with ten washers and dryers and a small space in between. There is no basement accessibly by the residents of Millennium. One of the down sides to Millennium Hall is that is the furthest dorm from the center of campus. It is located next Kelly Hall at 223 N. 34^th Street. It is very close to North Side Dining Terrace and the other freshman residence halls. Over all Millennium Hall is great residence hall to live in; it has a great atmosphere, friendly staff, and a safe place to live. 

Personal Opinion

I personally do not live in Millennium Hall, but I do spend a lot of time there. Many of my friends live in Millennium and none of them have ever complained about living there. From personal experience, I know that Millennium is very nice. It is a very comfortable place to hang out in. The whole building is kept up very well and a lot cleaner than most dorms on campus. The only drawbacks that I have experienced at Millennium are the elevators and room size. The elevators are often broken and under service. The rooms are small and can feel crammed with more than a couple people in them. But this is not a huge deal when there is a very nice lounge on each floor.