First-years thinking of housing for next year should avoid Ross

forgotten about. The whole building is basically a fire hazard (the elevator actually did catch fire two years ago), mostly because you can barely fit two people across on the stairs.

One of the biggest issues with Ross is that it’s not the safest.

Twice this year there’s been a shooting across the street, and it’s a longer walk to Drake’s campus. Which, late at night, can get shady if you’re by yourself.

Also, Ross has mice, and one even died in our room first semester, which you can guess was not the most pleasant experience.

The best advice I could give underclassmen: one, stop trying to do everything, and two, don’t choose to live in Ross.

Ross is the building I live in, that’s off campus and often

Ross is an old building, and is basically falling apart. The pipes will wake you up at seven in the morning, and most likely your shower has mold growing between it and the wall. On top of that, there’s a mysterious black sludge that drips out of the faucet

(just normal Ross things).

There are a few perks to being in Ross because you’re basically on your own, there’s doors that lock and a decent sized room. But it’s ridiculous that Drake has us pay the same amount for room and board here when we don’t get all of the benefits, such as the staff that clean the bathrooms in the other residence halls, a lobby that you can study or hang out in, a front desk that’s open 24 hours and mail that’s sent to your building.

You don’t only have to walk farther to get to class and Quad, but you also have to go to Goodwin-Kirk to pick up any packages you receive because the Ross front desk is only open for a few hours everyday. And forget making dinner in the kitchen, because again, the front desk isn’t open for very long.

People say we’re lucky to have our own bathroom, and I thought the same way at first until I realized you have to buy toilet paper, hand soap and extra cleaning supplies. I don’t mind having to clean, but I don’t understand why Ross residents pay the same amount when we have to pay for extra necessities and pay for facilities that don’t benefit us at all. Oh yeah, and there aren’t any light fixtures in the bedrooms so you have to make sure you buy a couple of big lamps. Basically, if you live at Ross you’re paying more than sophomores in other halls. Ross is also not handicap accessible at all. While most of Drake’s campus is not handicap accessible, Ross is one of the most badly equipped buildings. There’s an elevator, but it only goes to two different floors where you are faced with another set of stairs to either go down or up. Ross cannot even be an option for students with handicaps, and I can’t imagine being injured and on crutches living here, that would still be incredibly difficult. Before paying for new buildings to be made, Drake needs to improve sophomore housing, such as Ross and GoodwinKirk. Drake does a great job of appealing to prospective students with their first-year housing, but their upper class dorms are going downhill, and housing for the last two years of college is pricier than it should be for struggling college students if you’re not living in a sorority or fraternity house.

To first years looking for their home for next year: don’t pick Ross.