FSU dorms truly have a mind of their own. The culture and memories shared are different from building to building. Sometimes, dorm life is just surviving, like iconic final girls from decades of horror movies that have come to pass. Every “Final Girl” in a franchise has a unique skill set, just like the uniqueness of the dorms on campus.
DeGraff: Nancy Thompson from ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’
Poor Nancy Thompson was tormented by Freddy Krueger through her sleep for months. Her only way of fighting for her life was to stay awake by any means necessary. DeGraff is right next to the Tallahassee Strip, which may or may not keep you up all night. At least nothing is waiting for you once you’re finally out.
Bryan: Jess Bradford from ‘Black Christmas’
Jess Bradford was the original final girl, from all the way back in 1974. It’s only appropriate for FSU’s oldest and first dorm to be paired with her. Both are considered iconic by the respective communities surrounding them.
Rogers: Dana Polk from ‘Cabin in the Woods’
Dana Polk rejected the destiny laid out for her by the Ancient Ones, choosing to die as herself instead of what they’d labeled her as. Rogers was repurposed from a dorm for married couples for anyone of any status. Both stray from their original purpose, but that isn’t a bad thing.
Gilchrist: Tree from ‘Happy Death Day’
Tree walks across her campus green at least five times throughout this movie. Gilchrist is right on Landis Green, and you’ll be trekking across it to get almost anywhere. Tree is also a sorority girl, which is a huge part of the movie, and Gilchrist is very close to FSU’s sorority houses.
Reynolds: Maddie Young from ‘Hush’
Reynolds is connected to multiple other dorms, and there are tons of different paths you can take to travel between them. In Hush, Maddie Young spends most of the movie trying different escape routes to take back her fate.
Jennie Murphree: Ellen Ripley from ‘Alien’
Whether or not Ellen Ripley is a final girl is a debated topic. She’s efficient and wastes no time. I’ve never heard of Jennie Murphree Hall having major problems, and everyone I’ve known who lives there is like Ripley. Both will always manage to get stuff done.
Landis: Sydney Prescott from ‘Scream’
Sydney Prescott subverted horror tropes and redefined the image of the final girl in the ninties. Prescott paved the way for the slasher formula for years to come. Landis is in the middle of campus and has an entire green associated with it, so these two icons belong together.
Azalea & Magnolia: Sarah and Sam Carpenter from ‘Scream 5’
Azalea and Magnolia are newer dorms right next to Landis, still in a great location with great accommodations. Sequel characters aren’t always great, but the Carpenter sisters from Scream 5 certainly were. A lot like the original, with enough changed for them to be fantastic by themselves, just like the twin dorms of Azalea and Magnolia are to Landis.
Dorman & Deviney: Julie and Ray from ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’
I Know What You Did Last Summer is an iconic movie, usually overlooked. People forget that there were two survivors at the end of this movie, just as often as people forget about Dorman and Deviney. This movie came out around the same time as Scream, just ten months later, and got a little bit overshadowed. Still iconic, just quieter about it.
Cawthon: Laurie Strode from ‘Halloween’
Laurie Strode is one of the most popular final girls ever, and she’s the opposite of the classic Michael Myers. Cawthon is right next to both Chick-fil-A and Strozier. A location almost as legendary as the movie itself.
Salley: Sally Hardesty from ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’
The similarity of names isn’t why these two are paired, but it makes for a fun duo nonetheless. Sally Hardesty was an innocent girl who managed to survive through some truly horrible stuff. Salley residents past and present have been through some crazy things, and I commend them for it in the same way I commend Hardesty.
Broward: Lori Campbell from ‘Freddy v. Jason’
As the title may indicate, Freddy v. Jason was a movie with a big cast. Not only were there two horror legends facing off, but each had their own civilians they were tormenting on the side. It’s easy to forget about Lori Campbell, the final girl, until the very end of the movie. Similarly, there are so many dorms on campus that get overlooked, just like Broward.
McCollum: Clear Rivers from ‘Final Destination’
Clear Rivers is a pretty cool final girl. She saves herself and survives longer than any other Final Destination character thus far. However, she often gets overlooked because she wasn’t technically the main character of the film. McCollum is a great dorm in a weird location that people tend to forget about.
Ragans: Anita “Needy” Lesnicki from ‘Jennifer’s Body’
Anita “Needy” Lesnicki had to kill her best friend to survive after she’d become something inhuman. Getting a spot in Ragans any time before your senior year requires some roommate-knowledge sacrifice. Sometimes living lavishly means saying goodbye to your best friend.
Traditions: Erin Hanson from ‘You’re Next’
Erin Hanson goes through some insane stuff. The entire family she married into betrays her, but luckily she has serious survival skills that get her through it. Traditions is well-equipped housing that gets its residents through the year.
Wildwood: Grace Le Domas from ‘Ready or Not’
Like Erin Hanson from You’re Next, Grace Le Domas is betrayed by the family she’s married into. She has fewer survival skills, and this family has an insane weapons arsenal, but she manages to survive anyway. Wildwood is right next to Traditions, while slightly closer to the stadium. They see some crazy stuff but are equipped to get you through the year just like Traditions.
Here’s your final girl based on your dorm, and maybe you found a new spooky movie to watch just in time for Halloween!
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