Beaumont is perhaps the most notorious dorm on campus. With the looks of pity and remorse I get after revealing my dorm of choice, you’d think someone had just punted my puppy. But, come on guys, really? We’ve only been flooded with toilet water once in the past two years. 

Let’s be honest: Beaumont, one of the oldest dorms in the South 40, is not known for its amenities. Further, being a traditional dorm, residents must contend with public restrooms and showers. There have even been rumors of Beaumont’s demolition for years. However, in return, each and every dorm in the building is a single.

Here in Beaumont, we’ve got three flights of stairs, a half-broken ping-pong table, and the worst couches known to man to our name. Further, one of our laundry rooms has conspicuously been evacuated and turned into a dungeon of sorts. 

However, these problems are not as big a deal as some would claim. Frankly, the majority of the time you’re in your dorm building, you’re just in your room. Beaumont’s study rooms are serviceable enough, and because the South 40 is so compact, residents can journey across the rolling plain to other dorms for more specific desires and comforts. 

Beaumont’s kitchen and bathrooms are not quite abysmal either. While the kitchen is basic, it has the tools most college students will use: a microwave, an oven/stovetop, a fridge/freezer, and an ice machine. The kitchen is where you’re most likely to find your Beaumont comrades.

As for the public restrooms and showers, these are not as troublesome as you’d think. The kind and friendly cleaning staff do an excellent job at keeping the kitchen and bathrooms sanitary. Look, a public bathroom is not ideal, but it builds character. You’ll survive. After all, it’s no different than the restrooms you use on the way to and from class. 

Yet, despite these public spaces, Beaumont is not a shining beacon of a dorm community. I have seen the same two people in the bathroom every morning for the last 10 weeks, and I think I have spoken to them twice. From my experience, there is not a large social scene.

It does not help that the hallways were literally designed as “riot-proof.” Daedalus would be awestruck by Beaumont’s design, and Theseus would promptly find a corner to cry in. Simply put, Beaumont is composed of one very narrow and winding hallway with nigh zero visibility. 

Look, this is not to say that you can’t be social in Beaumont. Much like college as a whole, the dorm is what you make of it; you just need the will. The single dorms can even be a great place to host friends, as there is no need to schedule around roommates or cram into a tight room. 

Speaking of the single dorms, they are not cop-outs. Every room is either a double or a triple converted into a single, meaning the rooms are spacious. With a bed, a desk, a window, two closets, and more, there is plenty of space to truly make the room your own.

This allows the dorm to truly be a safe, quiet, and private space to recharge and relax, without worrying about accommodating a roommate or two. This is your reward for taking the stairs every day: a space you get to well and truly call your own, with all your assorted nicknacks. 

Beaumont does not have a rambunctious dorm community and is not modern by any stretch of the imagination. However, it gives you exactly what it promises: a great room to situate yourself in while riding out the storm of college. Plus, maybe a few college stories along the way.