Upgrade or Downgrade?

By Alex McArthy

Like most colleges, Saint Xavier has a Residential Housing hierarchy based on things like dorm age, hall amenities, location, etc. The halls at the top of the “totem pole” are typically newer, whereas the older ones are the less sought; Pacelli (1959) and Regina (1964) are the freshman dorms.

Many students generally view these halls as less desirable than the Quad Halls due to their age and the community-style living with two people per room. Showers and bathrooms are shared with everyone on that wing of the building, with between 20-24 people in the larger wings like Regina.

Upperclassmen in the Quad Halls have a kitchen and living room in the center with individual bedrooms, and their very own shower. The size of the room is just a little larger than those in Regina and Pacelli, excluding the bathroom and shared kitchen/living area. So, all in all, it is more spacious, with more utilities and everything is much newer. But is it really an upgrade?

Last year I lived in Regina. The archaic freshman dorm has its problems, like any old building. Leaks in the roof, flooding bathrooms, clogged sinks and frequent power problems were just a few problems. Still, many of my fellow ”Reginians” and I miss that old building.

The atmosphere is much different there than the Quad. The “Open Door Policy” was an unspoken rule for the majority of residents, if you were in your room, your door was open. People walked freely in and out of rooms on every floor, congregated to play games like Apples to Apples, and occasionally passed out in the hall because they could not make it to their room.

As for community bathrooms, those were center stage for debates and long philosophical conversations. The rows of showers were a great place to strike up a song early in the morning before classes with the boys on my floor.

Run out of shampoo or toothpaste? Just ask your buddy to the right and wait for it to be tossed over the stall wall. The conference room, basement lounge, and obviously Figaro’s were all places in where Reginians would gather for homework, business and play. The old water stains in the carpet and other blemishes simply add character to the age-old story that has been lived inside of Regina’s walls.

The Quad does not offer this sense of community or the long history in its plain hallways and closed and quiet rooms. It’s great having my own microwave, but I miss the good conversations and people I met waiting in line for the lounge microwave.

Alex McArthy is a sophomore political science major from St. Louis, Missouri. He is an RHA National Communications Coordinator, president of the Cougar Crazies, a Public Safety supervisor and an SXU Student Ambassador. Consideration for the student bloggers is provided by Saint Xavier University.