G.R.E.A.T. Housing Options for Sophomore Year

Hi everyone! Happy weekend. St. Mike's gave us a long weekend, so I am writing this post from my grandmother's house in Vermont! Hurray for home cooked food and quality time with my grandmother :)

I said earlier this week that I would talk about the pros and cons to all my options for where to live next year. I want to remain in G.R.E.A.T. Housing and I want to live in a single again, which means my options are a little more limited than most. So here goes nothing:

Alumni Hall 

picture of Alumni Hall from smcvt.edu

Pros

• Alumni is located on the quad so it's a quick walk to everything on Main Campus (Alliot, academic buildings, library)
• Alumni will be connected to the new student center, so I can take advantage of everything that has to offer
• Alumni is set up very similar to how my current hall is, so it's familiar
• All of the fourth floor will be G.R.E.A.T. Housing
• The basement has a nice lounge with pool tables/couches and would be a great place to hang out

Cons

• Alumni doesn't have many singles so it could be hard to get one
• If I'm located that close to the new student center (I wouldn't even have to go outside!) I might be really tempted to go spend money at the new restaurants they're putting in there (an Einstein Bros. Bagels and a grille!)
• Fourth floor. Enough said. 

Hamel Hall

photo of Hamel Hall from smcvt.edu

 Pros

• All of Hamel Hall will be G.R.E.A.T. Housing
• There are lots of singles on North Campus so I have a good chance of getting one
• The rooms are bigger than the ones on the Quad and the ceilings are really high
• Access to the balcony- would be so nice when the weather is warm!
• There's housing for about 50 people, so it would be a great little community
• There's a kitchen on the first floor that any one can use

Cons

• It's on North Campus (about a 5 minute shuttle ride from Main Campus)
• Hanging out with my friends will take more coordination than just walking down two flights of stairs and seeing if they're home

The Suites (Cashman, Pontigny, Canterbury)

photo of Pontigny and Canterbury from smcvt.edu

Pros

• The suites are really new and nice... they were completed in 2004
• The suites are in a convenient location, close to Alliot and only a short walk to everything else
• I would get a single room, but at the same time be sharing a common room with seven other girls. The first floor also has a large common room!
• Each floor has a kitchen to use
• Three suites are set aside for G.R.E.A.T. Housing (24 beds), two for groups of 8 and one to "single in" (sign up for by myself)

Cons

• Because I don't have 7 friends to go in with, I would have to "single in" and would have no clue who I am signing up to live with
• In front of a busy road, it might be loud

So... those are my options! The new residence hall might also be an option, but we haven't heard much about that so I haven't included it in my list. I am going to treat it like it's not an option but if there happens to be a spot when I go to sign up for a room, I will definitely take it! 

Right now, I am leaning towards living in Hamel Hall next year. It seems to have a lot of great features and I have heard nothing but great things about the community on North Campus. I know that wherever I end up, I will be happy and make it my own space. I will be sure to keep you updated on where I am living!

If you have any questions, about the housing process or about SMC in general, feel free to contact me, or ask anonymously on my formspring! Have a great long weekend!