Kaitlin O’Meara, Contributor
With the housing selection process rapidly approaching, it’s probably a good idea to know what your options are when it comes to living on campus next year. As someone who has lived on campus for the past two years, I figure that I am practically an expert in these matters and should share my wisdom with the rest of the Canisius world.
Here at Canisius, you have four options: the freshman dorms, Dugan Hall, the Village Townhouses and the Delavan Townhouses. Within these, there are two options of housing styles: the townhouses (which are apartment style) and the dorms (which are dorm style).
Bosch & Frisch: Traditionally, Bosch and Frisch are freshman dorms, so typically, you do your time and are done, but some snowbound students can end up in these housing areas. In these dorms, you have the option for suites, doubles or singles, as well as the elusive corner suite if you’re extra lucky. With the exception of the corner suite, you use communal bathrooms, which is not something I miss. Personally, you could not pay me to return to Frisch Hall, though I can’t say that I didn’t have some interesting moments, and it was a good first place to live. Plus: cheaper. Minus: communal bathrooms.
Dugan: Hotel Dugan, the nicest-looking dorm (from the outside). Let it be known that this is not my current place of residence, nor have I lived there during my time at Canisius. Dugan is composed solely of suite-style dorm rooms, which means that they are two rooms connected by either a bathroom or a living room. Also, there’s laundry on every floor, which means a lot less waiting when it comes to needing to be clean. A bathroom suite is kind of nice, but then you also are just sharing a bathroom with the person (or people) you’re assigned with. To me, that is an interesting arrangement, and I did not feel like it was the right one for me. Having been in a few living room suites, I can say with some confidence that they are pretty nice and not a terrible option to deal with. Plus: laundry location. Minus: just the idea of a bathroom suite and that this is typically the most expensive housing option on campus.
Village: The Village Townhouses — my current home. The Village Townhouses are apartments including your own bedroom, a kitchen, bathroom and a living room. I can’t lie, it’s an awesome set up, but the laundry situation personally brings it way down. Laundry can only be done in the community center, meaning you would have to take a journey just in order to have clean clothes (or towels, or sheets, or whatever else it is you need washed). There are only six in this area, so good luck being able to do your laundry any time other than Tuesday at 7 p.m. (if you don’t want it taken out against your will). If you are considering living with the right person, Village has the potential to be a great option. Plus: single bedroom. Minus: the trek to do laundry.
Delavan: The Delavan Townhouses are a great option… if you’re an athlete. There is nothing particularly “wrong” with Delavan, except for the fact that it is SO far away from campus. If you’re an athlete, it’s probably great because you’re extremely close to the KAC, but if not, you happen to be MILES away from everything else on campus. Delavan is also apartment-style housing; however, there are three to five people living in one apartment, rather than two to three like in Village. They also have their own kitchen, living room and bathroom, which is a positive that I have to give. In all honesty, my only issue with Delavan is the distance away from the rest of campus, but other than that, it’s pretty nice. Plus: more roommates. Minus: you guessed it! The distance from the rest of campus.