<p>OK, I know that this is CC and the majority of the posters on this forum are, or have, high achieving kids. My son is an average student who will not qualify for any scholarships or the Honors College at UA (we have the privilege of paying full fare :))but nonetheless, is soooo excited to be heading South in a year. </p>
<p>We’re planning on visiting one more time so that I can see the campus and so he can hopefully meet with the Dean of the Advertising/PR department. We’ll want to take a look at the locations of the dorms when we’re there. What dorms are for the average admitted freshman who isn’t in the honors college and will be studying in the Journalism/Mass Communications buildings? Also, he’s planning on rushing a fraternity, should he request a specific dorm for that?</p>
<p>Since he’ll be rushing, he might prefer to be on the South side of campus, which is popular with Greeks. Hopefully, NJBama can advise as to which would be best. </p>
<p>I think Burke Residence hall is a good choice because it’s on the South side, and Burke Dining has good food. </p>
<p>However, if he wants, there are Super Suites for non-honors students as well on the north side of campus. Lakeside East, Ridgecrest East, Ridgecrest South (S-tower), and (maybe) some of Riverside North are all non-honors Super Suites. :)</p>
<p>Thank you m2ck, I knew you would be able to help! </p>
<p>He loves the pictures of the suites, and the idea of having a couple of roommates instead of just one. He’s the more the merrier type of kid. </p>
<p>Do you know what side of campus the Journalism/Mass Communications school is on? I would prefer that he live close to his classes. We’ll go back to the website and look at Burke.</p>
<p>Reese Phifer Hall, built in 1929 and first occupied in 1930, is the home of the College of Communication and Information Sciences. The building includes the Center for Public Television and Radio and the studios of Alabama Public Radio, WVUA 90.7 radio, and WVUA 7 television.</p>
<p>College of Communication and Information Sciences</p>
<pre><code>* Advertising and Public Relations
Alabama Public Radio WUAL FM 91.5
Center for Public Television and Radio
Communication Studies
Dean’s Office
Graduate Studies
Institute for Communication and Information Research
<p>You are amazing m2ck! I’m beginning to think you’re a computer that UA has hooked up to CC to make the school look even better than it already is You answer so fast and with such detail. Thank you.</p>
<p>It took me a while but I did find Reese Phifer Hall on the interactive campus map. It doesn’t seem like it’s too far from the suite dorms. Burke is close to the fraternities and the Communications building but I think that my son wants as much room as possible. He had to experience (via hysterical phone calls and text messages, plus a visit or two) my DDs horrible first semester in a cramped dorm room with a worse than bad roommate last year and I think he’s gun shy about having one roommate in small quarters. </p>
<p>It’s good to know that he doesn’t have to be in the Honors College to live in a Super Suite.</p>
<p>My son goes to Reese Phifer frequently and he lives in Ridgecrest West. It’s a manageable hop, skip, and a jump (I’ve walked it myself). And if you have a bike (which he purchased on the cheap), it’s a breeze to get there from the suites.</p>
<p>lil bro is just a “average” student and he lived in Ridgecrest East his frosh year. He enjoyed it and found it very convenient to his business school classes which are pretty close to Reese Phifer. </p>
<p>It’s hard to say which dorm would be closest to his fraternity as we don’t know yet where he’ll pledge. Most fraternities are on the east side of campus. But DKE, Beta Theta Pi, Phi Gamma Delta, and Sigma Nu are on the west side along Univ Blvd. Phi Kappa Psi & Phi Delta Theta are on the west side as well but I believe they are moving to the east side of campus next year.</p>
<p>This may not be true for everyone but I actually think the older traditional dorms are more community oriented than the newer suite dorms. The suite dorms are so nice that the students pretty much just stay in their suites while in the dorm. In the older dorms, students tend to congregate in the public areas (lobby, tv room, pool table etc etc) a bit more.</p>
<p>If I had to pick a dorm for an “average” male student it would be in order
Ridgecrest East
Ridgecrest South
Friedman (Business school students only)
Riverside
Lakeside
Burke
Rose Towers
Paty</p>
<p>For sure Rose Towers is being knocked down…there’s a date for that. Don’t know if a firm date has been given for Paty yet. I don’t think Bama can afford to get rid of Paty yet. I think Bama did improvements to Paty a couple of summers ago to delay the need to replace it. </p>
<p>Have we heard what will go into Paty’s place eventually?</p>
<p>Along with Palmer (Mallet), Somerville, and Rose Towers, Paty was slated to be demolished at the end of last year or the end of this year (May 2012) . The University decided instead to demolish the smaller residence halls (Byrd and New) near the President’s Mansion in order to build more sorority houses and delayed the demolition of Rose Towers until the end of this year so the new residence hall (North Bluff) will be able to take its place. From what I know about the University’s long-term plans, Paty, Somerville, and Palmer are no longer slated for demolition.</p>
<p>With the impending demolition of Rose Towers, Housing and Residential Communities has started placing more international students in Ridgecrest East and Friedman.</p>
<p>Interesting Fact: in the 70s, UA leased most of Paty to the Bryce Mental Hospital to be used as additional housing for the younger patients. After the lease expired, UA renovated the building. The Paty you see today is the result of those renovations and some refreshment of the paint/furnishings that was done circa 2008.</p>
Hopefully, NJBama can advise as to which would be best. </p>