If you attend or have attended Illinois State University, you are well aware of the housing situation all freshman have to go through when choosing where to live on campus. You've got Tri-Towers, (which seems like it is miles away at times but does have better food), Watterson Towers, if you want to live in the biggest building with the most amount of people (this can be good and bad), and Manchester and Hewett Hall (has no dining center attached) which is where I stayed for my freshman year of college. As someone who survived a whole year on Manny 16, I know these 14 facts to be true.
1. Themed Living
Each floor in Manchester had a different theme. Personally, I really liked this. I was on the business floor my freshman year and this had some major benefits. Pretty much all of us were in similar classes if not the same ones. If you ever were confused by something in a class there was bound to be someone in the room next to you that knew the answer.
2. Walking to Watty for food
This is every resident of Hewett and Manchester's biggest concern when moving in. How will I ever be able to walk the whole block to Watterson to eat? Honestly, it's not a big deal at all and I wouldn't worry about it for a minute. It's only annoying when it's raining or freezing out. But, you can deal.
3. Living off of Subway
This is for the days that it is actually freezing and hailing at the same time. Subway is your only option and you suffer through. Or when you and your friends have literally nothing to do at night and go to Subway just to see the drunk students. Quite the variety of people. Trust me after a year of eating Subway it tastes anything but fresh.
4. Your floor is your school fam
From what I have heard when you live at Watterson you don't know most of the people who live around you. I don't know if it was just my floor but we all knew each other and for the most part liked each other. There was always someone with their door open to talk to.
5. Waiting 16 years for the elevator
I lived on the 16th floor my freshman year so obviously, I'm going to take the elevator up, because who walks? But, there were always those people that took the elevator up to floor 2. Like, Really? You'd rather wait 10 minutes then walk up one floor?
6. Constantly having to check keys out when your roommate locks you out
When the door closes it's over; it's locked, that's it. Now you have to take the trip downstairs, possibly in a towel. Don't you just love dorm living?
7. Never getting used to the smell of Subway
Can we just go back to talking about Subway? I feel like it was a classic subject when living in Manny. The smell alone will make you want to make that walk to Watty in the rain alone. Years from now you will walk into a Subway and it will take you back to your freshman year of college. Yum.
8. Your parents being so happy that the tutoring center is in the basement
On move-in day, all parents are bound to comment about how happy they are that you will have the tutoring center so close. But, let's be real it really doesn't matter where the tutoring center is. I would have rather had a restaurant or cafe there any day.
9. Drinking in the suites and the quad
Where else would you pre-game than the suites and the quad? It's not like 15 people are going to fit into a double. Plus, you can't really hear much of what goes on in the suites from the outside. So, who really knows what's going down in there half of the time. The quad on my floor was definitely the most insane but the most fun. Always something to do walking in there.
10. Awkwardly leaving the building in a slutty outfit on a Friday night
This was the downside of knowing a lot of people in your building. The stares are real. Taking the elevator down and feeling judged. You're only a freshman once so wear that low cut top with pride. You're the one going out to have fun. Am I right?
11. All floor group chats
Again this might have just been my floor but during the first few weeks of school your phone will be blowing up. Someone is always looking to go eat with people or go to some event. Honestly, I think it made my floor a lot closer to have a group chat going. Made everything a little less awkward seeing them in person when you have already talked to them through the group.
12. Casually walking down the hall to throw your alc bottles down the shoot.
"No that is not an empty handle under my shirt, why do you ask?" That loud bang you hear on Sundays isn't just your rooms garbage, it's the sign of a fun weekend.
13, Knowing that if people are sitting on the lobby couches on weekend nights they are getting tickets
Drinking tickets are a very real thing when it comes to Illinois State. No one is just hanging out in the lobby on a Friday night. It means the cops are here and you better go out the back way.
14. All floor movie nights in the lounge
Someone on my floor would always drag their TV into the lounge and somehow people just started to show up. Made us all get to know each other a little more.
Naturally, there were a lot of days I hated living in a dorm but living in Manchester did have some pretty fun times. Looking back a full year later, I wouldn't choose to go back to living in a dorm but it did provide some hilarious memories. You might even find your best friends while living the dorm life. They might even happen to live on your floor. Mine did, and I am forever grateful to Manchester for bringing me my college soul sistas.
Peace out Manny 1609.
