One of the most iconic dorm buildings on campus is Piñon Hall. This is simply because it is one of the cheapest and oldest dorms on campus. Located on the Northwest corner of the campus, Piñon is right next to the Maverick Center and is a short walk away from the Outdoor Program, so bodybuilders and tree huggers alike can find Piñon to be the perfect location. The hall was recently refurbished as well, so the signs of wear and tear are, for the most part, minimal.

Piñon remains to be a community-driven dorm, as its features are communal with the traditional style of dormitory. Some rooms, however, also have access to a balcony, typically shared with one other room. Having the balcony offers a slice of the suite life with the balcony mates that share it as if it were a suite loft or bathroom. Jacob Kernc, current resident of Piñon, beamed about his balcony living.

“I enjoy the balcony, it is a cool feature,” Kernc commented.

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The balcony offers a unique experience from the other dorms, as it is a great place to put a seat and relax out in the cool autumn air, especially if one is lucky enough to get a corner balcony. As many have probably observed, a corner balcony offers a perfect location to set up a hammock, taking the total relaxation level up to a lofty nine.

The dorm is small when compared to the megaliths of Garfield and Monument, so the community is a tad more niched and has more opportunity to become closer in these smaller dorms. Piñon is also home to the Maverick Innovation Center for those considering STEM-B professions that offers a great environment to work in and achieve a level of reality to the major they are pursuing.

Piñon is kind of like the studious nerd that learned to be cool; however, it does have its faults. With the communal bathroom, problems are inevitable, according to Esther Gardner.

“Sometimes girls put their hair on the walls of the bathrooms, which is like the most disgusting thing in the whole entire world,” Gardner divulged.

It isn’t only the gross bathrooms that can detract from the building, because, while it does offer some vending machines, Piñon is lacking any type of kitchen, so no late-night brownies for the residents there. The Maverick Innovation Center, while great for STEM-B students, is quite the hassle for all the residents that aren’t in that program. The Maverick Innovation Center is exclusive to those STEM-B students, so they are the only ones allowed to access it, leaving the boys’ side almost stranded above it.

Students have gotten trapped in between the elevator and the center since they don’t have clearance to open either door once they exit the elevator.

“We have to walk all the way to the girls’ side just to go downstairs,” Kernc commented on the Innovation Center’s nuisance.

While this isn’t too big of a problem for the residents, but it does offer another layer of difficulty.

If these minor problems can be overcome with the promise of a great community space and cheaper living, Piñon might be the perfect building.