Students across campus are often heard comparing dorm halls and floors, debating which have the best resources or look most visually appealing. Specifically, freshmen in Simmons and Morse compare floor plans, necessities, and some less-than-ideal aspects of dorm life for residents.

The Positives

Simmons Hall has been a dorm hall since 1956 and houses approximately 188 residents. Simmons Hall has two sides: one facing Pilgrim Road and the other facing Brookline Avenue. The first floor of Simmons holds a large lounge with a piano, as well as vending machine options and a single-occupancy room with other doubles. Each floor of Simmons has its own lounge and kitchen. The second floor has a computer room in their lounge area. Every floor except the first has a laundry room, shared between both sides of the floor, and two bathrooms, one on each side, with equal amounts of amenities. Simmons also has an elevator for easy accessibility.

Morse Hall, opened in 1953 and remodeled in 2012, houses approximately 130 residents. Each floor, except the third, has a kitchen and a lounge. The first floor has two separate kitchens and lounges. Most rooms are double-occupancy, with very few Expanded Occupancy Triples (EOTs). Vending machines are all in the building on the first floor, accompanying a four-person room as well. The bathrooms are fairly large, although they have equal amenities in comparison to Simmons. 

For a competition of which dorm is the best solely examining the positives, Simmons beats Morse. There is a lounge on every floor for students to gather and study, with an extra large lounge and a TV on the first floor. The elevator, for one, is among the amenities that Simmons has that Morse doesn’t. 

The Negatives

The most obvious downside is that both dorms lack controlled heating and cooling. There is a higher probability that bugs will come inside older buildings, which makes Simmons and Morse likely targets for critters like cockroaches.

Simmons lacks renovations and is therefore closer to its original condition. This means the pipes are older and may not be the best. As a less updated building, this can allow for creatures to sneak into the buildings during the winter. In one instance at the beginning of this semester, bees slipped into some of the rooms on the first and second floor through cracks in the side of the building and windows, resulting in facilities responding after requests to have to spray the street-facing Brookline Avenue rooms. The issue was resolved a month in after the weather cooled and facilities sprayed the rooms biweekly. 

Morse lacks laundry rooms on every floor and an elevator. It only has one laundry room for approximately 130 students. While Morse has been renovated, it is unclear if the plumbing was altered in the process, meaning that it is possible the plumbing is the same between dorms. Morse is technically the older building and has the same structure it did even before the renovation, allowing for similar creature problems. Most of Morse’s serious foundation and wall problems were solved with the 2012 renovation, as per a virtual tour of the building, but critters can still sneak through.

Although Morse has a lack of amenities, Simmons’ structure is run-down. If an old building — used by hundreds of people through New England winters —  has cracked foundations, aging plumbing, or fractures in the walls, the building begins to degrade.

The Verdict

As a Simmons Hall resident, I personally have fallen victim to leaky faucets, broken washing machine doors and terrible cell service. I have seen people across the hall having to get their rooms sprayed for bees and get our own door fixed a month in because it wouldn’t close fully. With these experiences, I find it hard not to be biased against Simmons. Only two full months in, I have experienced enough dorm stories to make my family laugh – but I have heard plenty of good and bad stories from friends in Morse too. 

Which is the better dorm? With the horror stories I’ve heard, and the horror stories I’ve yet to hear, the better choice for me is Morse. It is the relatively better building despite the fact that it doesn’t have as many laundry machines as Simmons.