Tutwiler vs. Ridgecrest South The Showdown

Tutwiler vs. Ridgecrest South

The Showdown

Many incoming college freshman entering into a new environment consider their place of dwelling extremely important. With the many dormitory choices at the University of Alabama, students are faced with the difficult decision of deciding where they will live for their first year of college. While searching for the perfect dorm, many will take into consideration security, comfort, cleanliness, location, and age of the dorm. While many prefer Ridgecrest because it is brand new and has plenty of living space, others prefer Tutwiler for its security and fantastic location.
All of the Ridgecrest dorms have received a good reputation, mainly because so few students have previously lived there not to mention the brand new Ridgecrest South. The floor layout consists of spacious living room with a kitchen, including a regular sized refrigerator and four separate bedrooms. Allowing each of the residents to have their own private living space is great for privacy, and studies have shown increases in the quality of studying accomplished. If there happens to be conflict of personalities with a roommate, there should not be a problem because of the smaller amount of interaction with the suitemates as compared to roommates in an old-fashioned dorm.
Ridgecrest dormitories have many advantages compared to other residences on campus. In the Ridgecrest dorms, there are plenty of areas to study throughout the dorm and being a coed it is easy for students to mingle with their male or female friends. The elevators are always working and students hardly ever have to wait longer than a couple of minutes. Under Ridgecrest South dormitory, there are three levels for parking, which makes this dorm one of the only places on the UA campus where parking is not a problem. A lower level parking deck also means that one’s car is always close and free from weather damage.
While there are so many good effects about the Ridgecrest dorms, some students find a few problems with protection and location. The security at the Ridgecrest dorms is not very aggressive. Once someone is able to open the front door, everything in the dorm is accessible to him or her. The only positive to this issue would be that it makes it easier for friends to visit. In addition, many Arts and Sciences majors complain the Ridgecrest dorms are too far away from their classes. When it is raining, excessively hot or cold, or someone is simply running late, the 15 to 20 minute walk to class can be a problem for many students.
On the contrary, Tutwiler was erected originally in 1914, and is not only quite different from the newer Ridgecrest dorms, but from any other dorm on campus. While many have a problem with the age of Tutwiler and would prefer a newer building, most girls appreciate the location and safety. One of the most widely known characteristics of Tutwiler is the heightened security measures taken to protect its female residents, when it comes to security, visiting Tutwiler is about as tough as trying to enter Fort Knox. Tutwiler is the only dorm on campus that requires male visitors to leave their license at the front desk to go up the elevator. As if the insane security was not enough of a problem, many times only half of the elevators are operating; and when there are fourteen flours in the building, this can become a major inconvenience.
Tutwiler is sub-par compared to other dorms on campus when it comes to parking and room space. Many residents comment that there is a lack of parking space at Tutwiler, and that those few spaces are not under cover like the Ridgecrest parking deck. Residents even have to move their cars before every home football game, even though they pay hundreds of dollars to park there. The rooms in Tutwiler are significantly small, and much dirtier, than Ridgecrest rooms; and two students live in each room! The small living area not only brings down the comfort level, but the paper-thin walls make it difficult to get quality studying done. Unlike at Ridgecrest where two people share one private bathroom, Tutwiler residents must share a bathroom with all the girls on their floor that’s over twenty girls! This is a major inconvenience, especially on a game day where every girl is getting ready for the football game.
Even though it may be old and crowded, there are definitely some advantages to living in Tutwiler. One advantage for residents is that the MTLC is attached to the dormitory. While most other students have to walk across campus to get to the math lab, the Tutwiler residents do not even have to step outside their building. Another appealing quality of Tutwiler is its location, Tutwiler is a short walk to the quad, and is conveniently located on Paul Bryant Drive across from the football stadium. Walking to class doesn’t take very long and Tutwiler is also positioned right behind Sorority Row, which makes it very convenient for many incoming freshman who join a sorority.
While Ridgecrest may be new, spacious, and have a parking deck underneath, Tutwiler has great security, location, and even has the main math lab for the University attached. Many parents would like to know there are girls safe in a dorm like Tutwiler, but most incoming freshmen would rather live in a dorm that is new, clean, and has plenty of living space, which can all be conveniently found in the Ridgecrest dorms. Clearly, the marginal benefit of living in the Ridgecrest dorms is much higher than living in Tutwiler. For a young person moving into a strange environment, having a comfortable place to sleep and study is extremely important. Ridgecrest offers every living advantage an incoming student could ask for, while Tutwiler is left in the dust with its out dated rooms and tainted living conditions.