The towers, or Wallace and Wilson residence halls, have a reputation here at Iowa State. When I found out I would be living in Wallace, I was a bit distressed. My first thoughts were along the lines of, “They’re all the way south of campus, my classes are on the north side! This walk will be awful! There’s no air conditioning! What did I do to deserve this punishment?” Well, we’re now a good month into classes, and six weeks into living on campus. In these six hot weeks, this closet-sized half of a sauna I live in has become home, and I love it.
There are so many bad things and horror stories we all hear about the Towers. Whether it’s the fact that they seem to be in the middle of nowhere (which they are), or the stories of all the stoners that call the Towers home (no comment), we seem to never ask these story tellers whether they have lived there. I’m going to take a shot in the dark and guess they haven’t. Now of course there are those who live in the towers or have in the past that hate it, and to them I say, get out of your room and meet your floor-mates. Once you do, you will learn all the great things the Towers community has to offer.
For example, we have our own dining center. Sure it may not have the grandeur of UDCC, or the wide variety of choices offered at Seasons, but its right outside our door. We also have our own fitness center, which has proved to be incredibly nice, since the trek to State gym or Lied rec is a workout in itself. I think the one thing I heard most often about the towers, more than any horror story imaginable, is that they have the best sense of community out of all the residence halls. This I can attest to, as I have found it to be 100% true. I know everyone on my floor with few exceptions, and to those people I reiterate: GET OUT OF YOUR ROOM. Most of these people I’ve come to know on a personal level. This is the same for almost all floors in the Towers.I have yet to find another hall with this sense of home.
To reinforce these points, I have interviewed a few residents of both Wallace and Wilson. Below are some snippets of what they said:
“I always heard that the towers were the ghetto of the dorms on campus, and maybe they are in terms of quality, but they’re the best place to live” –Riley Kolbow, third year student at Iowa State from Chaksa, MN. Riley decided to live in the towers this year after spending so much time in them last year with his friends. “They’re everything I thought they would be and more. Great community feel.” Riley is president of McCowen house in the Wallace residence hall. He said he never thought he would be able to have such a big role his first year living in the towers, but “it’s so easy to make friends and socialize.”
Most people, including Samantha Fuller, a freshman from Pella, Iowa say that while they don’t plan on living in the towers next year, they are extremely glad to live here now. Sam’s first reaction to her housing assignment was a little troubled, as she had heard so many people complain about the lack of air conditioning and how far they were from campus. Now, after six weeks of calling the towers home, she says “I love it here. The people make it worth it, especially the people on my floor. We’ve all become so close.” Sam also talked about how close the towers are to the soccer practice field where she and the Iowa State women’s club soccer team have practice.
“The rumors about people in the Midwest being the nicest is true, and living in the towers just reinforces that,” says PaulaJean Cartwright, a freshman in journalism and mass communication from San Diego California. PJ hadn’t heard any of the urban legends or rumors about the towers before moving here, being from Cali. Now she says, “Its home. I can walk into anyone’s room and feel welcomed. Being far from home the sense of family and community is very welcome.”
Mason Jones, a freshman from Council Bluffs majoring in Construction engineering is one of the few people in the towers that chose to live there. Many of his friends who have lived in the towers previously urged his to live there, as they all loved the social aspects and community feel it offered. Mason and his roommate, Kirby, have been best friends all through high school. Many people often advise not to room with your friends but Mason says, “We were a little nervous about living together before we moved here, but in the time we’ve been in Ames we’ve gotten closer and learned to be accepting of each other. We take care of each other. It’s like living with your brother.” "Overall, the towers are lit"
The Towers are a legacy at Iowa State and the residents of them are one big family. Whether you believe living in the Towers is a curse or a blessing, you will create some great memories here and have some even better stories to share. The towers are lit.
