<p>Inspired by momof3sons' thread on Mertz: tell me about Dana! I know about and am resigned to the Danabugs. I've gotten lots of useful information already, but want to cross-check with CC.</p>
<p>Do you have an inside double, or an outside double? Either way, you have big windows and thus lots of light - both real positives. Your closets are pretty decent, too.</p>
<p>Both dorms are a good mix of classes, so you’ll meet lots of people outside your year. Often, halls in Dana (especially the all-women third floor) tend to bond pretty closely. </p>
<p>You’re obviously very close to Hallowell, and your RAs will organize activities for both dorms together. Wharton is just steps away, and overall, everything else is reasonably convenient - you’re walking <em>over</em> to classes and McCabe rather than up the hill (as from Willets, new dorm and new new dorm, and Mertz), but it isn’t significantly farther. The field house is quite close, and the Crum is right behind you. </p>
<p>Danabugs aside, Danawell is a pretty good placement. I lived in Dana for two years and Hallowell for one, but my data isn’t all old - my D lived in Hallowell last year.</p>
<p>I lived there last year. It’s really nice, though some people don’t like the twisty hallways, and complain that it’s dark and depressing. Well, it is `70s cinderblock construction, and it is in the woods (which means, despite the big windows, that it’s actually not terribly bright inside). </p>
<p>The basement (lower level) is pretty different from the other halls–different closets, smaller windows, less twisty hallways, big central lounge. Because of this last, it tends to be the loudest hall in Dana, which is typically a pretty quiet dorm. Quiet doesn’t mean antisocial though–despite the architecture’s best attempts to prevent it, halls of Dana freshmen often become really close. Because the lounges on the upper floors are so inconvenient (and sometimes nonexistent), expect to do more socializing in people’s rooms, as opposed to the lounge.</p>
<p>It’s a nice dorm, despite the weird anti-riot corridors. Good location on campus. My impression is that the Dana-bug myth is way overblown.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for the informative posts! I have an inside double facing the courtyard and I’m not on third nor LL.</p>
<p>I think so too. I think the Danabug myth is overblown or just untrue. A close friend of my son lived there so that my son spent a lot of time at Dana. He did not hear anything about bugs. Or maybe bugs were there many years ago. It looked pretty decent to me last time I was there (which was 2 years ago).</p>