10 Things You Know If You Live In Mertz

Mertz Hall is the largest freshman dorm on campus. It has 19 residential floors and houses a little over 600 students. So, there’s a good chance that you will live in Mertz freshman year. Here are 10 things you know if you live in Mertz!

1. Those stairs are no joke

Mertz Til It Hurtz is not just a fun saying or actual hall activity, it’s also the truth. Two flights of stairs outside, more on the inside if you live in one of the lower levels. In the winter, when it’s windy and icy, you better hold on tight to the railing or just go through Centennial, unless it’s at night and Centennial is closed. But, the stairs are incorporated into the yearly event “Mertz Til It Hurtz” which raises money for charity.

2. The issues with the laundry room

The laundry room is down constantly, which is a struggle we all know. When will it be up again? In a few hours/days? It’s especially annoying if you were out of clean clothes or if you had things in the washing machine that will remain wet.

3. So many tour groups

There’s always at least one parent who complains about the stairs. When they’re waiting for the elevator or standing in the lobby, you can’t get through that space. If you are on a lower floor and face the main stairs, there’s a chance you’ll get woken up by a “THIS IS MERTZ HALL” by a tour guide on a Saturday if you leave your window open.

4. Waiting for the elevators is annoying

The wait for the elevators is unbelievable. Going up and down 19 stories will take awhile. Then there are the people who are on the lower floors who take the elevators.

5. The fact the outside is a wind tunnel

More than once I’ve been coming back after Centennial is closed and almost been blown off the stairs. The first thing you feel is the wind when you leave. I’ve personally heard a tour guide explaining the wind to a parent on a tour from my window.

6. Having to scan your ID three times to get in

If you happen to forget your ID, there is absolutely 0 way to even get inside sweet Mertz unless somebody else lets you in. If you go to take out the trash and you happen to forget your ID, you better hope that somebody is there to let you back in. Hopefully the never scanners stop working again because you will be trapped somewhere, depending on which scanners are down.

7. The Loyola L stop is right there

It’s so close. You can see Mertz from the train and it has been referred to by non-Loyola students as “That tall building you can see from the train.” You don’t have to walk far from the stop to the dorm, which is especially great when you take it at night. The other freshman have to walk a few blocks for Granville, or across campus for Loyola. It’s one of the few perks of dear Mertz.

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8. You have a chance at getting a killer view

The higher up you are, the better your view is. Being 19 floors up, you do have a great chance at getting a killer view, whether of campus or of the lake.

9. The closest building is Damen

Most things on campus are so far away. The only thing we have nearby is Damen, which has it’s perks. Damen has a lot of things, so it’s not a hassle to go to the food court or to Halas or to the MPR. But the classrooms and the other dining halls are so far away, on the other side of campus.

10. Mertz is the Social Hall

This is no joke. Instead of the hallway setup of other dorms, it’s a square. There’s only about 50 people on a floor. You really get to know people on your floor, at least on your side. You’ll always run into someone you know in the hallway, or in the lounge, or in the bathroom. I don’t know if I’d know my floor as well as I do if we were placed in a different dorm.