Legacy Hall is the new home for almost 500 residents, mostly freshmen and sophomores. Legacy is joining McCullough-Trigg as the other co-ed residence hall on campus. With Legacy being brand new and having a different dynamic than any other hall on campus, it provides a new challenge for me as an RA. I worked in Pierce Hall for two years, which is the all-male dorm, and community naturally happens there. Moving to a new coed hall, where most residents are already involved in various organizations, and living with both genders has taken a little time to adjust.
The cool part of having four different residence halls is that each one has its own unique culture. Since Legacy is brand new and we have never had a mostly sophomore residence hall, the first thing we had to do as RAs was figure out the culture of the building. This was definitely easier said than done because of the diverse group of students living in this building. There are freshmen that are wanting to get plugged in somewhere. There are transfers that already have college experience but are brand new to this campus. And there are returning sophomores that are already doing their thing and don’t really need much guidance.
Each RA has to cater to different types of residents, which makes programming a little more complex. For example, in my wing, I have eight football players, so one of the programs I’m doing with them is a Fantasy Football League. Then I have freshmen that I go to the gym with or take them to caf, just to get a feel of what my residents are interested in.
Along with the different culture, another aspect about Legacy that is different than any other residence hall is the appliances and equipment. Everything is new. From the funky chairs that look like they were taken out of the Jetson’s living room, to the microwaves that have USB plugs, to the nice (for now) bathrooms, this place is neat. Again, coming from Pierce Hall where everything had been used before I got there to coming here and being the first to use any of the appliances — it is definitely an upgrade.
Another cool thing about Legacy Hall is the lounge/study/hangout side of the building. Walking into Legacy, it’s quickly noticed that there are whiteboards all over the place. There are study lounges on every floor and in the south wing by the welcome desk. This area opened up on Sept. 6 and includes mailboxes, a big study/technology area, a hangout lounge with a pool table, the new multipurpose room, and a grab-and-go convenience store. This is supposed to be the main hangout spot on campus — it is awesome.
The multipurpose room is going to be used for a lot of programs and events on campus, and we’re hoping to use it weekly. From an RA perspective, all this stuff is great because they are resources we can use to make our programs as good as they can be. Legacy Hall is a great place to live. If anyone hasn’t seen it, students should definitely come check it out and ask for a tour. This is going to be the first of many great years to come in this building, and I’m glad I get to be the first to enjoy it.
Zach Davis is a history junior.
