Opinion
Ames Suites give sophomores opportunities
October 5, 2012
Cascade Avenue is nearly complete, the Family Fresh grocery store is newly renovated and, of course, a brand new residence hall on campus is now open.
After being under construction all of last year, the Jesse H. Ames Suites on the east side of campus was completed this past July. The features of this new residence hall are what put it in such high demand for sophomores. The hall is much different from other residence halls on campus.
Ames Suites was built specifically for current sophomore students. “Having a building designed for sophomore students allows the resident assistant staff and the Department of Residence Life to be more intentional in meeting the unique needs of sophomore students,” explains Nicole Krubsack, Residence Life area coordinator for the east side of campus.
She continues to add, “Traditionally, sophomore students may find themselves being challenged academically, striving to feel more connected on campus, determining a specific major or career field and exploring the opportunities to study abroad. The ‘Get MORE out of your SophoMORE Experience’ program was designed to help address some of those specific needs of second-year students.”
The new building has capacity for approximately 240 residents. The building is split into four floors. Each floor either has two or three “pods” that are comparable to a wing in a regular residence hall.
There is a door to each pod that is only accessible by card and only for people who reside in that pod. While this of course is an added benefit for more security and safety of the residents, numerous people have had complaints about being able to visit friends easily.
Each pod in Ames Suites consists of a common area, complete with furniture and a flat screen TV. Next to this common area is a kitchenette which includes cabinets for each of the residents to store food and other kitchen utensils, thus leaving more space in their rooms.
Each pod is split into three separate hallways known as “clusters.” The clusters are where the dorm rooms and bathrooms are. The rooms in Ames Suites differ from other rooms on campus in that they have carpeted floors instead of the traditional tile flooring seen throughout residence halls on campus.
Another feature in Ames Suites, that is quite beneficial for the residents, are the abundance of laundry rooms and full sized kitchens.
While other residence halls only have one kitchen and one laundry room, Ames Suites is equipped with a laundry room on the first and third floors as well as a full sized kitchen on the second and fourth floors.
If nothing else, this serves as a benefit for students to finally not have to climb several flights of stairs just to put some clothes in the machine. The winter months are almost here, but the residents of Ames Suites and South Fork Suites need not worry about the frigid, sub-zero temperatures. Featured in the new Ann Lydecker Living Learning Center, which connects the two halls, is a fireplace lounge.
It is perfect for a long evening of studying or just for socializing with friends. This new fireplace lounge is right across from a large meeting space, perfect for events, meetings, or clubs. Any student can use it for an event. It also includes an attached service kitchen, which residents can also use if they wish.
This is only the first of many great years for the new Jesse H. Ames Suites. I have enjoyed residing in this new hall thus far, and I would strongly encourage freshmen to apply to live here for next year.
Cristin Dempsey is an English major and music minor from Eagan, Minn. She enjoys writing, playing the flute and swimming. After college she would like to pursue a career as an editor.