Picture this: It’s late March and you log onto the housing portal at your designated pick time. You got in the first round of the lottery, so surely your group of four will get something decent, right? Wrong. The only options left to choose from are all four-person rooms in Faber. Not two doubles, one room with four beds.
Well, this is exactly what happened to me that fateful winter day last semester. And it’s safe to say that I freaked out. When asking around campus what students were hoping to get for sophomore housing, nobody said Faber. In fact, everyone seemed to want to avoid the building entirely.
At first glance, it makes sense. Faber is toward the back of campus, near Barlow Road, a further walk from the Tully or the RecPlex than we were used to from our first year living in the Quad. It’s not a part of Sophomore Village either, where Kostka, Claver and Meditz halls are located. While not an old building by any means, Faber doesn’t seem as shiny and new as Langguth, Bowman or Dulles. It’s kind of just “there”.
I was nervous to live in my quad-style room, but I can truly say that I’ve been making the most of it. My roommates and I bunked two of the beds (yes, I took the top bunk – aren’t I nice?), which gave us adequate floor space for guests to sit or for Just Dance nights. With the beds pushed to the sides, it’s honestly a big room.
It’s also been a blast to be so close to my friends all the time. I think we wouldn’t be nearly as connected if we lived in two doubles. There’s something so special about being able to walk into my room and immediately have someone to rant to about my classes or share a laugh with.
I also personally am a fan of Faber’s location on campus. Alongside Dulles, the building is tucked away, making it feel separate from the hustle and bustle of the academic and recreational buildings. There’s usually not much foot traffic walking to and from Faber. The weather has been pleasant, so I may eat my words when winter rolls around, but I’ve been enjoying the walk past the pond as well.
Now, I still don’t think a Faber quad is the “best” place a sophomore can live at Fairfield. Sure, I’ve grown to love it, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t switch to an apartment in Meditz or a shiny new suite in Bowman if I had the chance. Faber has its problems.
For one, I don’t love how I’m being charged the standard “Double/Suite” price for rooming. Fairfield classifies my room as a suite since my roommates and I have our own bathroom, but I would argue that four beds in one room is hardly a “suite”. Triple rooms have a slight discount, which I feel like a quad should have as well.
Additionally, sharing a room with three other people inevitably results in a lack of “alone” time. Now, I’m comfortable enough with my roommates that I can quietly study, read or relax even with others in the room, but I could see this being a source of conflict for those not in my position. Four people sharing the same space means four different schedules, making it hard to secure complete privacy.
There are a couple more nitpicks I have with Faber as a whole. An upgraded, filtered water fountain would be great. I also think we could use more washers and dryers, as we only have four and five, respectively.
Faber Hall is far from perfect, but I don’t think the gasps or “I’m sorrys” that I receive when explaining where I live are warranted. I’m enjoying my time in Faber, and hey, it will make wherever I end up next year seem like a huge upgrade.