Independent Living: The Rise Of East Campus
Liberty University offers a variety of living styles spanning across its large campus in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Every type of dorm building on Liberty’s campus has a vibrant personality of its own, allowing for a wide range of communities to thrive at the university. For example, the Hill and the Circle’s residence halls sport three people to a room with communal bathrooms, offering a tight-knit community through lively hall interactions.
The Commons buildings foster a stronger bro-sis community due to the shared common room space uniting the male and female halls. Although South Tower and Quad residents have a further walk to the main academic lawn, students are still be able to experience the bro-sis community.
East Campus, more commonly shortened to “East,” offers apartment-style housing with a dorm community. While similar to the Quads in offering a shared kitchen and living space, East Campus buildings house more students, creating a vibrant community that is often desired when moving onto a college campus.
“East Campus is perfect if you prefer quieter spaces with more privacy, and it is also popular with athletes and groups of friends that want to live together. Students who live here love the freedom to cook in their dorm and enjoy the close-knit community within each apartment,” according to Liberty University Residence Life’s website.
East Campus is located across Highway 460, allowing students to enjoy a slight separation from main campus. However, an easy walk over the bridge or through the tunnel is all it takes to get to classes and dining facilities. Bus transportation is also available for students at East at multiple locations along Liberty Mountain Drive.
“I … love that East is a little more separate from your school life and academics, and you can breathe a little. But you can still have the pros of on campus like … hall events,” sophomore Cassidy Brinson said.
Though the East dorms are detached from the rest of campus, there are a variety of different activities that surround the buildings. The beach volleyball courts, Slim Chickens, basketball courts and David’s Place gym are all within a short walking distance of the East dorms.
Additionally, the Runk and Pratt parking garage is located at the center of East Campus. This garage serves as the primary parking location for all residential students; close in proximity to many of the East Campus dorms, this amenity allows for quick access to students’ cars, a luxury that not many other places on campus have.
Another perk of living on East is the supplementary parking spaces located directly in front of the buildings. Although they fill fast, East residents are the only students on campus who have the option of parking directly in front of the building in which they reside.
When taking a look inside the East Campus buildings, it’s obvious there is even more to appreciate. Each of the 28 buildings on East Campus contain 14 quads distributed over four floors. Each quad houses seven students and features a shared living space and kitchen as well as a private washer and dryer.
Despite every pro, there are always cons. Living on East Campus isn’t always as great as it seems. While students enjoy the idea of living with friends in an apartment style dorm, reality will soon hit that living with six other people can be difficult. The main complaint students voice about life on East Campus is how challenging it can be to share one living space.
“Some of the cons are the freezer is just a little small so sometimes fitting all our stuff in there can be kind of tough. And seven girls sharing one washer and dryer can be difficult especially if we have a specific thing we have to wear on a specific day,” freshman Neely Pulkstenis said.
Each quad is divided into three rooms. Two rooms hold two people while the third room houses three. The space fills quickly, and even though there is a small living room to escape to, some students say it can feel cramped at times.
Another downside of living on East Campus is its distance to the main academic buildings. Some East Campus buildings are close enough that it may not be a long walk while other buildings require a 15-minute trek to class, which can be rough in both the August heat and January cold.
“The only other con I can think of is walking to class when it’s cold. It’s usually not a problem when it’s fall or spring, but when it gets cold you don’t want to take 10 minutes to walk to class,” Pulkstenis said.
The “hall culture,” a phrase students use to characterize the community on a residence hall, can feel a bit different on East Campus. In traditional dorm living, members of the hall are able to roam in and out of each other’s rooms, giving a true sense of living together.
On East, sophomore Eden King said, students make the effort to knock on doors to make friends, which differs from the traditional hall experience; however, the community within each quad can be something very special.
Though the culture on East may look different from other parts of campus, it doesn’t mean it’s all negative. Residents recognize that it takes more intentionality to make close relationships within the building, but appreciate that there is space for privacy and quiet when needed.
“I chose to live on East because it looked like I would be able to make friends and be close to other girls, but I would still have space to study and focus,” Pulkstenis said.
East Campus offers a living space where friend groups can thrive, and introverts can get their alone time. It’s a step in between dorm life and independent living. If you’re looking for a space like this, East might be the place for you.
For more information about housing, visit liberty.edu/residence-life/.
Mullet and Davis are feature reporters for the Liberty Champion.