Rawlins Hall, established August of 2015. Yes, 500 undergraduates flooded into this building a mere week before classes, when the building’s construction was declared “complete.” And although we've had our fair share of tripped alarms and endless landscaping projects, no resident here could have asked for a better experience. New can definitely be good. Here are 10 (of the many) reasons why:

1. When people ask where you live and when you respond, they give you that look.

Yes, we all know that stare. The subtle-judgement look that screams ‘elitist.’ It’s okay. You can say it. We know. We’ve accepted it.

2. When people walk into your dorm for the first time and say, "It's like a hotel!"

We've heard that, too. Every time actually. And you know, maybe you're right. It is quite nice. But many people follow this kind comment with some disdain towards living here, as if it's too sterile and subtracts from the experience. I promise you, the lack of questionable stains will not ruin my wonderful experience here.

3. The name-games are endless.

If you live in Rawlins Hall, you know "y'all" is no longer the correct second person plural form (and yes, that is the correct form because Texas). It is y'awlins, my Rawlidents. And can we just take a moment to appreciate that each floor was provided with glorious names? Starting from The Basement to the Mezzanine, to the Trifloorce and the Fourth Floortress, and finally up top at the Eagle's Nest, each floor has a different personality that makes Rawlins so much more than just a dorm hall. My wing has the Oprah Lounge; no one knows why, but we don't question it.

4. You realized “complete” was an extremely relative term early in the year.

I have learned the indispensable value of patience, whether it was waiting for more outlets to be installed in the laundry room so more than half the dryers could be utilized or chasing moving dumpsters. Holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony months after the occupancy of the hall so that landscaping would be complete enough for professional pictures was just another expected event. Let us never forget the trapped-gas-bubble fire alarms at two in the morning that brought our cranky PJ-clad selves together a couple times; or the Great Flood of the First Floor that led to evacuations and relocations paralleling that of a hurricane disaster. Thanks to this hall, I will never exaggerate wait times again.

5. You have never had a more hype Facebook group.

These pages are designed to keep the residents in the loop, but ours has evolved to much more than that. People invite each other to hall and campus programs, offer free-for-all leftovers in the kitchen, alert residents of cars parked incorrectly or with lights on (I mean seriously, these people are the best) and share things so willingly with each other like sisters rifling through the other's closet. Just the other day I posted to the page asking for specific items and within two minutes I received generous offers from at least four different people to drop by their room and take what I needed. The selfless hearts and sense of community in this hall is insane.

6. When you can leave your laptop in a study room to run to the bathroom or grab something from your room with complete confidence it will remain where it was.

OK, so this one was extremely specific and maybe revolves around just me, but this example proves something I know all will agree with: the trust and accountability extending around the wings is unreal. *Disclaimer: I do not recommend having such blind faith everywhere; we are in college still.

7. You have hall t-shirts (and people actually buy them!).

Yes, maroon Monday is an official weekly holiday for us, and we are proud of it. You will not find a more spirited hall, whether it is intramurals, Housing, UNT sporting events, or politics. We watch the debates together, congregate in the lobby to walk to games together and randomly host movie nights for each other.

8. You have the most fantastic hall programs.

Most people, understanding it to be the newest honors hall, assume us residents are always locked away in our study rooms, buried into our assignments. That is true. But we most definitely have social lives as well and that includes the most creative hall-wide and wing-specific programs. From Kario Mart (drunk-goggles Mario Kart) and DIY Hogwarts wand sessions to Coffee and Conversation (where we engage in serious, stimulating discussion about different socioeconomic values and our personal proclivities and values), there are endless ways to get plugged in around Rawlins and enjoy your nights. You will never walk through this hall and not see an event happening.

9. The view is breathtaking.

Stop by the Fourth Floortress or the Eagle's Nest, and you can observe the sun sink into the horizon over Apogee. It really is a sight to behold.

10. The most incredible Resident Assistants and staff are all in one building.

Housing did an impeccable job in placing the current staff here. Camaraderie is so prevalent between the RAs, the Housing Director and all on staff. There exists this mutual respect and understanding between them that makes for a seamless group of people all striving towards a common goal, and they all share the same passionate hearts for the residents. You will always see a familiar, smiling face eager to talk with you, dorm-related or not, as you walk through the halls. We got so lucky.

I didn't register for this hall because it was new (although that's definitely a huge plus). I signed up for a positive community of aspiring intellectuals and determined human beings, and thanks to this decision I have made some of my best friends here. The dorm life isn't about the lofted beds or suite-style bathrooms or the largest laundry room on campus (that is wonderful as well). It's about community, and that is exactly what I have found. Now that I've found it, it is going to be incredibly hard to let it go. Thanks, Y'awlins.