By Chelsea Bergman

As the student population knows, the Simonds Hall building is all new. Students now have another building to choose from for housing, than rather living in one of the school’s dorm buildings. Being an all-new building means there is plenty of space available to live there. However, despite the publicity it’s been given, the majority of students are still choosing Mara Village or the Townhouses or even getting an apartment off campus.

Simonds Hall comes equipped with utilities, two bathrooms, and even a 32-inch flat-screen TV for the common room. What they did was take an old, run-down building and transform it into the new modern building it is today.  The ceilings are high and the floors are wooden. It sticks with an industrialized appearance. The windows are huge and industrial-sized.  This amount of space would be perfect for a student’s studying time. Simonds Hall seems to offer what students need, and at an affordable price too.

All of that sounds ideal for students trying to live away from home.  Simonds is equipped with Internet, utilities, heat, and located near downtown Fitchburg, close to late-night restaurants. However, not a lot of students live in that building. All the students spoken to had different views on it and had their own opinion as to why they’d rather live in Mara Village or the Townhouses or dorms.

Andrea, a student currently attending Fitchburg State University, had multiple reasons for not wanting to live in the new Simonds building, despite how nice it appears.  For her, wanting classes within walking distance is a large factor. “It is so far away from the other dorms and Hammond and class buildings,” she says, and McKay would be even farther. The problem with distance also comes up when she thinks about her safety. Safety is a big thing. “If I were at a friend’s room and had to walk back late at night it would be scary,” she says. Yes, Campus Police will escort the students, but no one really wants to bother the Campus Police every night.

Another student, Dan, seemed positive that living in Simonds Hall was not for him. Being too far away from the center of campus was a big deal. Students seem to prefer to be closer to the middle of campus, so they can hear about what’s going on around campus. It makes the students feel more a part of the school, because they get to see all the other students every day when walking to class. Simonds Hall would be better if it were located closer to campus. Being near downtown Fitchburg isn’t a bad location, but students would rather live closer to the University than the city.

If the students were at Fitchburg State University longer than they anticipated, they seemed to like the idea of Simonds Hall. The students who were on campus longer than the average four years seemed to want to graduate soon and be less a part of the college life. The students wanted to get their life on track and living in Simonds Hall would be realistic because it’s not located on campus and can be considered to appear like their own miniature apartment.

Simonds Hall would be a great selection if the student were trying to get an apartment. It would give them the practice of having an apartment, without most of the responsibilities just yet. It would allow the students to focus on their studying while allowing them to be away from most of the other students and/or distractions around campus.