There are 12 Zodiac signs. You’re probably familiar with them. If you’ve ever lived on campus, you’re probably also familiar with the six freshman residence halls. Inevitably, every year, they harbor the same stereotypes (Hotel Clifton, anyone?). As a former resident of a study lounge in Belden-Racine and 3rd floor U-Hall, I’m not an expert, but I know a thing or two. So here are the residence halls as explained through Zodiac signs.
Belden-Racine
Cancer and Scorpio
My first home. Belden was a mixture of theatre kids, athletes, and everyone else when I moved in. I do recall a heated fight when a friend burned his popcorn in the microwave. The athletes were pissed because MORNING PRACTICE. It was an intense time and caused a great deal of tension, hence the Cancer side of things. Everyone kind of did their own thing, motivated by what they wanted, which didn’t help the tension but does explain their Scorpio side.
Clifton-Fullerton
Libra and Leo
Hotel Clifton. My freshman year there was a rumor going around that there was an ice machine in the lobby. The residents here have a tendency to act like they’re staying in a hotel; it’s not very social. That would be the Libra side coming out: the desire to keep everything in tip-top shape, so college feels more like a vacation than a social experiment. They do have a history of good RAs, which gives them their Leo side-emotional rocks to get you through everything, a nice lobby that’s a good spot to meet before going out for the night.
Corcoran
Taurus and Capricorn
Oh, Corcoran. The residents here are very patient. That’s the Taurus in them. They deal with quite a lot there in the Coco Lounge. There’s definitely a sort of strength in living in Corcoran, and sometimes it seems like a miracle that the building still stands! No air conditioning, a weird odor in the entry way… And yet, the students persevere and stick it out. That could be the Capricorn in them, but it could also be the cheaper rent.
Munroe
Virgo and Pisces
Honestly, Munroe is such a mixed bag. It’s a little bit of Belden and a little bit of Seton. It’s the hall you remember staying in at orientation. It’s a flexible space; there are classrooms on the first floor and it’s used during sorority recruitment (as well as extra University Ministry offices), which explains the resourceful and observant Virgo side. The Pisces side comes out in the lack of social life. Plenty of DePaul residence halls have issues with being social, but Munroe always seemed a little more… distant. DePaul even tried to lump them into the MUB Hub with Belden, but it didn’t really help either hall.
Seton
Aquarius and Sagittarius
Home of the only all-girls floor and the only Honors student floor on campus. The Aquarius side is definitely reflective of the Honors students that live there. Quick to let you know that they’re Honors students (always questioning whether to drop it or not), and very serious about course cart registration. The Sagittarius side comes out in their willingness to explore. They’re the closest hall to the El, which makes coming and going convenient, especially in the wintertime. It’s almost inconvenient to go to the student center, so you might as well try every hot dish at Whole Foods.
University
Gemini and Aries
U-Hall is by far the most social. I don’t know if it’s because it’s in the center of campus or because the bathrooms are outside of the rooms, but every year it gets that reputation (and the reputation for getting the worst trash grade). They’re Geminis because they’re good at communicating, and they’re Aries because they’re extremely active. Half of my floor went on to live together in McCabe the following year. Wednesday nights were hell if you wanted to get any sleep. But that was what made living there fun. That, and getting literally anywhere on the Lincoln Park campus in five minutes.