At the University of Cincinnati, everybody knows where Daniels Hall is. You just look up at the campus's skyline and see a 13-floor big red brick building and there she is. It has plenty of nicknames like "Dirty Dan" and is pretty much called a party dorm. Each year about 700 undergraduate freshmen moves into the dorms with the suspiciously stained floors and walls. Daniels definitely has some character as being one of the oldest resident halls on UC's campus. I think that's why people are so fond of it, no matter the jokes we make about it. I asked around what were people's favorite and least favorite things about Daniels and here's what I got:
Daniel's Pros
1. Your Roommates
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OK, I got really fortunate with my roommates. They're all awesome, literally. When you arrive at college on the first day, they are your first friends, in fact, they become your family actually. It's who you wake up with and it's who you come home to every night. They become your go-to for grabbing dinner at the dining hall, Center Court and impromptu trips to Walgreens.
2. The Community
You would think seeing strangers next to you in the bathroom brushing your teeth every morning would be weird, but it's actually not. Everybody is really friendly, whether it's a random elevator conversation or just a "hey" in the hallway.
3. Midnight Pancakes
Pancakes at midnight. Genius. Daniels R.A.'s are the best, they make pancakes for us every other Monday in the lobby downstairs. They play music and always have a bunch of different sugar filled toppings. Late night carbs are a perfect way avoid the "freshman 15" (sarcasm people, sarcasm).
4. The Front Desk Security
I will admit, living in Clifton can be scary. But the front desk at Daniels does a great job at keeping its residents safe. Every person who walks through the door has to show their I.D. which shows what residence hall you live in. If you don't have the Daniels sticker, you don't get in. All guests of Daniel's residents have to be signed in and out, it can be a hassle but it keeps all of us safe and that really matters when living in the city.
5. The Location
Where Daniels is on campus is pretty solid. It's about a five-minute walk to Walgreens and a three-minute walk to Center Court. It is on the edge of campus but it only takes about 10 minutes to get to the other side. You can look out at the practice football field on one side of the building and the other side you can see the rest of campus, it's not a bad gig.
Daniels Cons
1. The Substances
OK, I get it we're in college, of course, there are drinking and unfortunately drug use. In Daniels, you can always bet on the weekends you'll smell 20 different kinds of alcohol and probably three days out of the week I smell marijuana walking through the halls. I have a different point of view from the majority of college kids because I don't drink or do drugs. But I bet a lot of people would agree walking out in the hall in the morning and smelling your neighbor's hot-box, isn't ideal.
2. The Neighbors
Ahh, the neighbors... It's a hit or miss kind of thing. Personally, I'm not close or, well, know my neighbors at all. My neighbors like loud music and to giggle at high pitches late at night. But I've heard it works out for other people and they become good friends, so don't lose hope, say "hi" to them and who knows maybe a friendship could come out of it.
3. Community Bathrooms
I have one word for you about community showers: hair. Especially in the girl's bathrooms, there's just hair everywhere. You never, and I mean NEVER, walk to the bathroom or shower without shoes on. It's honestly just disgusting. From the girls who stick their hair to the shower walls or throwing your paper towels on the ground, it's a mess.
4. The Dorm Room Itself
To explain Daniels' dorms in the nicest terms I would say a cozy prison cell would do just fine. It's a cramp little room with cinder block walls, and the cozy part is what you bring to the room. Wall decorations and Christmas lights are definitely a must to get rid of the "I live in a correctional institution" look.
5. The Elevators
Daniels has four elevators and on a good day two out of the four work. Let me remind you when 700 people live in one building with two elevators, you'll be waiting a while, and if you're late you better take the stairs even if you're on the eighth floor. It's great when you're trying to go up to the study floor and the elevator takes you down to the basement or if it skips your floor entirely.
Alright, I'll confess, Daniels isn't THAT bad. It might be extremely dirty and you may or may not find a dead cockroach outside your door. But there's something about Daniels that makes you feel like you're at your home away from home.
