When every FSU resident is asked where they live, the only answer that’s always promised to garner a bad response is Salley Hall. All FSU students understand the dislike of living in Salley Hall; it has the reputation of being the worst dorm because of its distance from campus and rumored mold problems. But there’s another dorm that evokes a different but equally negative response: DeGraff Hall.
DeGraff Hall was built in 1950. It’s a suite-style dorm hall with five floors, stationed adjacent to West Tennessee Street. Before I moved into DeGraff, I was warned about the following things: a supposed creepy dark tunnel that connects to campus, the noise (because DeGraff is adjacent to The Strip), and a budding roach problem.
So, when I received my room assignment and the screen read “DeGraff Hall,” I was worried. I didn’t want to walk through a creepy tunnel every day to get to class, I didn’t want to deal with noise, and I didn’t want roaches in my room. I put in a request to get reassigned to the coveted apartment-style dorms, but to my dismay, D-day arrived before I ever got moved.
When I moved into DeGraff and entered my room for the first time, the first thing I noticed was the view. My window overlooked Tennessee Street and a park with geese surrounding a lake. My room faced east, so I’d be able to watch the sunrise every day. I was surprised at how much room I had, and I managed to decorate my side of the room with enough space to spare.
Have some of the rumors been true? Yes, I hear at least three sirens a day from ambulances or police cars racing down Tennessee Street. I’ve spent many nights listening to the bass from The Strip shaking the walls or hearing people screaming in their attempts to kill a roach.
My experience at DeGraff so far has been good. I can’t speak for others who may have had a negative experience, because I know that exists. But in the semester I’ve lived here, I’ve made friends, haven’t had any roaches in my room yet (fingers crossed), and the tunnel is definitely not creepy. It’s well-lit, has an emergency button, and it’s such a short walk to campus. Walking away from campus after a long day is a small win for the off-campus experience, but I still feel equally connected to what’s going on at FSU than I would feel living in a closer dorm.
One warning I was never given was for the DeGraff parking lot. Parking is scarce (not a new FSU concept) because a lot of people who are non-DeGraff residents will park in lots behind it. The lot directly behind the building has a dip in it that will scrape your car if you don’t enter slowly. For those of you who might be living in or visiting DeGraff Hall anytime soon, go slow when you enter the lot and your car will be just fine.
Perhaps this isn’t exactly a love letter to DeGraff alone, but also to giving things a chance. I don’t feel like I’ve lost anything by living at DeGraff; I’m glad for my experience and wouldn’t change a thing.
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