Living on the Mount comes with some perks and disadvantages. Flint and Day residents tell you all about the struggles. From the drunk stairs to the Graham Dining Hall, these are 10 things you’ve definitely experienced if you have lived on the Mount at Syracuse!
Say good-bye to the Freshman 15! With 123 steps to the top, everyone living on the Mount has been up and down these notorious stairs more than twice in the same day. The uneven, wooden steps are a challenge. No matter how many times you do it, the stairs will always leave you breathless. Thankfully, there are two rest stops on the way up, fitted with uncomfortable benches where students can recover.
Not all resident halls have a dining hall within their complex. Thankfully, the Mount is home to Graham Dining Hall, saving its residents from a good ten minute walk to food on Main Campus. While Graham is not known for its fantastic food or proximity to classes, its unpopularity makes dining a more relaxing experience. While dining locations, such as Ernie Davis Hall and Schine Student Center Food Court, are often overpopulated and under-stocked, Graham always has plenty of ‘food’ to go around and plenty of seating.
After the dining hall has closed, the post-dinner cravings begin to set in. In the catacombs of the Mount complex, there is a small grocery store, as well as a cafe, available to all residents. Both the restaurant and the market accept cash as well as FOOD funds off of the Syracuse Student I.D. Just remember, the doors close at midnight and once they do, you’ll be dependent on the minimalistic vending machines in the lobbies of Flint and Day. Yum! $2 Off-Brand Oreo’s.
It’s cold in New York, and with a walk-able campus, Syracuse students dread the journey out into the wintery tundra. Even if it’s just 10 yards to the dining hall! Beneath the Mount complex, tunnels lead to Graham Dining Hall, laundry rooms, a computer lab, as well as a small cafe and grocery store; students never have to set foot outside. Unfortunately, this is only true if they skip all of their classes. Bundle up, Orangemen!
According to the Princeton Review, Syracuse University is ranked fourth in the nation as a top party school. Of course, partying appeals to any freshman, including those living up on Mount Olympus. Rather than taking the long Mount stairs, residents have found a shorter stairwell that puts them closer to the parties. Nicknamed the “Drunk Stairs”, the 30 steps to the top (or bottom) is an easily navigated path back home after a night of wild partying.
On the few, but, sunny days in Syracuse, everyone on Main Campus flock to the Quad to soak up some Vitamin D. Instead of joining the fun on the clustered Quadrangle, many of the Mount residents find their slice of paradise on the grass in front of Flint and Day. Blankets are set out, frisbees are thrown, and everyone takes a moment to relax. The Mount’s miniature Quad is a slice of paradise away from the bustle of Main Campus.
After a long day of classes and a workout at Archbold Gym, Freshmen on the Mount avoid the stairs and saunter down to Lyman Hall on College Place. Around 5:10PM, Mount residents gather inside the building to wait for the East Campus Shuttle. Running between 5PM and 3AM, the Birnie Bus #35 takes residents directly to the doors of Flint and Day Halls. The trip is short and quick since the Mount is the first stop on the route.
Time management is essential when it comes to living on Syracuse’s campus. During the first week, freshmen are the early birds, arriving outrageously early to all of their classes. After the first week, there are still freshmen arriving early; these individuals are likely to live on the Mount. Everyone overestimates the time it takes to go down the stairs. Just let gravity take you! The trip is longer on the way back.
Like any other student at Syracuse, Mount residents are prepared for the cold winters in upstate New York. At first, the cold weather seems to be the only extreme students need to be prepared for; however, Flint and Day Hall residents may be blown away by strong gusts of wind that whip across the top of the Mount. No, Dorothy, it’s not a tornado, but you may want to latch on to something before you fly away.
The views from the Mount are fantastic. From various points, residents get a view of Main Campus, the city of Syracuse, Oakwood Cemetery, as well as piece of the country side stretching out for miles. Supposedly, the best view is from Day Hall’s 8th floor lounge, the highest point a student can access on the Syracuse campus. One thing is for sure, the sunsets are truly the best.
Featured Image: weheartit
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