Honors Dorms: An Inside Scoop
By Aaliyah Freeman
It was 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic slammed the country. Changing the nature of the student experience everywhere, the pandemic left students of all ages and levels wondering what the future of their academic experience would look like. Many students, including those at VCU and VCU Honors College were forced to quarantine– creating miles of emotional and physical distance between their peers, coworkers, and professors. Some students were even displaced after losing their spot in residential dormitories on campus as universities paused operations in the name of safety, according to a study by Thirdway.
Here at VCU, students may recall the shutdown of the Honors dormitory as it served its original healthcare purpose during the early pandemic. VCU’s Class of 2024, thus, missed their chance to reside with other Honors students in the official Honors dormitory, and it wasn’t until the current academic year that the halls of the Honors College have been filled with eager residents seeking the traditional VCU Honors experience. The question is, what has the experience of living at the Honors College been like for the Class of 2025?
Honors houses up to 177 people, ranging from RAs, Honors residents, hall directors, and students with special accommodations. All residents live singularly, meaning it is not required or allowed to have a roommate in the Honors College. Furthermore, Honors dorms each come with a private bathroom, a refrigerator, and a microwave. Other amenities within the residence hall include a small kitchenette on the first floor, classrooms that hold Honors courses, laundry rooms, common areas, and floor-by floor-study spaces. The price to live at the Honors College for the 2021-2022 school year is $9,177, maintaining its position as the most expensive residential hall for first-year students, according to VCU Residential Life and Housing.
When asked about her sentiments regarding the price to live in Honors, Anna Bui, a Political Science major serving as the Vice President of the Honors Community Council remarked, “The price is very very high.” Bui’s comments are rooted in the fact that it costs around $9,000 to live in Honors with less amenities than other dormitories.
“I wish we had more,” said Shashank Mallipeddi, another first-year Honors resident studying Bioinformatics, “like, GRC gets a whole kitchen and we just get, you know, a toaster.” 
The kitchenette on the first floor of Honors proved to be slightly underwhelming for some students, when they arrived on campus and realized it consisted of a toaster oven, toaster, microwave, sink and refrigerator, yet no stove and minimal counter space.
However, students also have acknowledged the fact that all VCU students living on campus are allowed to cook in other, nearby residence halls with traditional kitchens. Despite controversy surrounding the amenities in Honors, Malipeddi still said, “I feel like [the price is] justified, because you get your own room and bathroom.”
He is not the only Honors student who expressed satisfaction with the singular living space. A large aspect of the current culture surrounding the Honors dorm seems to be rooted in the fact that students live alone. Areej Ghazenfer, a Visual Arts Major and resident, stated, “It’s nice being able to have your own privacy and also being able to go out into a lovely community and to choose when you wanna hang out.” She described the residents as giving, nice, and loyal, having fostered a close-knit relationship with fellow residents on her floor. “[The dorm’s culture is] really positive. I can just text in the floor group chat like, ‘Hey do you wanna hang out?’ and they’re like ‘sure.’”
“It’s a lot closer than other dorms; it’s less people,” said Malipeddi, “Since you have a single dorm, you’re going to be outside more, talking to other people. It’s more like a community.” Honors students do not have roommates, so many of them enjoy convening in common areas, or, spaces outside of their rooms meant for communal interaction amongst residents. Common areas at Honors consist of cushy booths, tables, chairs, and in some cases, TV rooms. There is also an Honors Lounge on the first floor of the Honors college where students have been known to convene and plan events, such as last month’s “Lounge Lock-In”.
All dormitories at VCU have Community Councils, which are groups of students elected by residents and trained by VCU’s Office of Residential Life and Housing to foster social relations between residents within their dorm. The Honors Community Council is a big aspect of dorm culture. Leo Gibson, a Theater Performance major and resident said, “I feel the community council has attempted to create a sense of community by creating a multitude of opportunities to meet new people and experience new things.” These opportunities range from hosting movie nights, homework parties during finals, and handing out free food and drinks throughout the semester. Other organizations and individuals also host events at Honors, such as ActiveMinds, KnitWits, Berglund Seminar speakers, and the Honors Wellbeing team.
Thus, it’s safe to say that since the dormitory’s official reopening in the fall of 2021, the dorm has been abuzz with life and learning. As life slowly begins to transition back to normal following the initial COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, VCU likewise begins to refill its residence halls, foster new relationships, and break down the physical and emotional barriers created between people at the onset of the pandemic. The reopening of the Honors facility is yet another sign that the world is growing back together again.
Above: Photo of Honors residents and RAs at their murder mystery dinner night, November 2021, courtesy of Aaliyah Freeman.