This post was written by Hatchet culture editors Karolina Ramos and Olivia Kantor.
The Thurston Zoo. Thrusting Thurston. Thirsty Thurston. You’ve heard the rumors and legends of the notorious Mabel Thurston Hall – now take a glimpse at its best and worst sides.
TOP FIVE REASONS THURSTON SUCKS
1. Nonstop dubstep.
We’re talking all hours of the day, all days. (Potentially also a pro? You decide.)
2. A 1,000-person dorm grants few opportunities for privacy.
Get ready for random people you’ve never encountered in your life drunkenly stumbling into your room unannounced some idle Thursday night. Moreover, the majority of rooms house four to six people, packing different personalities and habits into one condensed space.
3. The party aftermath.
You don’t make it to the top of “best party dorm” lists without a few structural damages. Prepare for instances of vomit – and various unknown substances – across the building, including the occasional case of vomit or beer cascading down the stairwells. Happy elevator riding.
4. The mold.
Thurston houses an alarming amount of mold, primarily in bathrooms. For an 84-year-old building, maybe this isn’t surprising, but it’s understandably distressing. Shower curtains and bath tubs tend to be the most frequent mold-attracting spots, and students have reported it on corners of walls. Mentally prepare for a bevy of Fix-It requests.
5. Sleep? What’s that?
Say a tearful goodbye to any current consistent sleep schedule. Thin walls between individual dorms and between rooms and hallways won’t keep out the noise, and the open floor arrangements in quads and some sixes means while one roommate is desperately trying to sleep for an 8 a.m. lecture, another might be cramming until 3 a.m. Invest in some sleep masks.
TOP FIVE REASONS TO LOVE THURSTON
1. Boundless opportunities to meet people.
With over 120 people per floor and 1200 freshman in total, you are going to meet tons of people in Thurston. Events and food fundraisers are frequently held on the first floor lounges, giving you further opportunities to mingle. And given the sheer quantity of people, there is a high probability that you might actually like some of them, too.
2. Boundless rooms for hook ups.
The nickname “Thrusting Thurston” didn’t come from nowhere. More than a thousand hormone-crazed freshman in one residence hall is bound to lead to some extracurricular activity, and Thurston does not disappoint. Whether it’s in the stairwell, laundry room tables, or your roommate’s bed, Thurston is filled with hookup spaces.
3. Washers and dryers on every floor.
While this benefit of living in Thurston may not be the most glamorous, it is every lazy college student’s greatest blessing. Unlike those schmucks in Potomac, you don’t have to haul your laundry in the elevator: Thurston students have the convenience of strolling just down the hall to do their laundry – if they manage to do it at all.
4. Basement study area.
The basement study lounge is a great location to hit the books, boasting comfortable booth style seating and plenty of power outlets. Come Sunday nights, it’s filled to the brim with students cramming, writing papers and doing what Thurstonites do best – socializing.
5. Printing kiosk.
When you forget to buy ink, run out of paper or your printer decides to hate you, never fear, Thurston students, there’s a printing kiosk right in the basement.
