<p>So, as an alum, I had occasion to be in Allison Hall's lounge area last night (I lived in Allison 20+ years ago, when it was an all-girls dorm). I was there with some other people who don't have NU affiliation and to be honest, I was embarrassed. The carpeting had duct tape on it to cover holes, the couches were ripped and stained and I swear, they were the same couches we had 20 years ago ... and they weren't any prizes back then.</p>
<p>I don't expect student lounges to be designer and I know how hard the wear and tear is. However, for the caliber of school NU is, and for the price tag parents are paying to send their kids there, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the furnishings in the lounges to be reasonably up to date and in good repair. Basic updated indoor-outdoor carpeting, Ikea-style type couches / sofas, and some hint of attractiveness / color coordination / warmth. </p>
<p>FWIW, I was recently in Willard's lounge as well, and their lounge at least has the charm of the old crown moldings and architectural style of the building.</p>
<p>I don't have a point of reference, but is this the standard among NU's peer group, or are they embarrassingly behind? I bleed purple and white, but I wouldn't have blamed my companions if they'd had a very negative reaction to NU based on this dumpy dorm / lounge.</p>
<p>And don't get me started on Bobb-McCulloch, LOL.</p>
<p>Bobb and Allison tend to be in a constant state of disrepair--the dorm governments end up having to pay for the costs of damages from their maintenance budgets, rather than being able to buy new furniture. Dorm furniture in general never has been "prized", as you mentioned, but recently NU has begun to phase in some more modern furnishings. They've been remodeling a couple buildings each year (if you had the occasion to look inside Hinman-Lincoln or Elder, you'd know what I'm talking about). As for common room furniture, however, most of that is up to the individual dorm's government to replace/repair. It's actually pretty easy for buildings to request new furniture--it's just a matter of asking; sadly, most people just would rather not bother. Weird, huh?</p>
<p>Thanks - no, I haven't been inside Hinman or Elder recently. I've most recently only been to Sargent, Bobb, Willard and Allison. I didn't know that the furniture was under the aegis of the dorm government; I would have thought it was under the aegis of the university. </p>
<p>I guess my other question is -- how do the dorm facilities / lounges etc. stack up relative to NU's peer universities? I have to remind myself when I get to the point of doing tours for my kids not to judge other colleges by dorm feels since my beloved NU is looking a little shabby. But I can't help wondering if it turns prospies off, or if every peer school is similar?</p>
<p>Hm. I'm pretty sure there's a big variety. A lot depends, from what I can surmise, on the logistical setup of the buildings and the relationship with the surrounding area. As I'm sure you know, Evanston and NU tend not to have the most endearing of relationships, so NU, unlike places like Berkeley and UPenn or "college town"-type schools (e.g. Cornell w/ Ithaca, etc.), Northwestern doesn't have free reign to expand, and there are certain building limitations that exist (I believe there are some limitations on how tall certain types of residential buildings, or maybe it's just buildings in that area, can be), so Northwestern often just has to deal with the current building setup rather than offer remodeling or expansion (difficult to make major changes with upwards of 95% of housing slots filled, with that number on the rise...).</p>
<p>From personal experience, I think Northwestern is about average. Certain newer/recently remodeled buildings are definitely nicer than peer institutions' (e.g. Slivka, Kemper, Hin-Lin--odd that they're all on North Campus, eh?), but we definitely rank below the likes of many California schools that I've visited. As is the case with many older campuses, though, it often depends on the specific building. Some of UPenn's freshman housing is absolutely abysmal, while they also have 30-story high class apartment-style "dorms" (although they pretty much supersede that term altogether). The Hopkins facilities I've seen weren't anything to write home about, and the buildings I've visited at Cornell, Yale, and Haverford seem to suffer from similar issues of just plain old facilities.</p>
<p>Still not an excuse for duct tape used to cover holes in carpets or couches, though, imo. Northwestern tends to be a little slow in improving facilities (just think how long it's taken Northwestern to remodel Norris or the Library--the Daily endlessly and mercilessly ridicules the idea of the remodeling ever being complete), but usually stuff like what you're describing can be fixed pretty quickly if properly reported.</p>
<p>I wasn't talking about structural building improvements, and I understand the limitations on height and footprints and what-not. This was merely - sheesh, having some indoor/outdoor carpeting from the 21st century and some decent tables, chairs, lamps and sofas that didn't look like they were from a garage sale would be nice for a top 20 university that costs $50K to attend.</p>
<p>And while we're pet-peeving, my pet peeve is that a gorgeous lakefront location on south campus is taken up by a parking lot. What non-genius came up with that?</p>