Branner Hall, room 170 here I come. Yes, that's the room across from Kennell (the weird, old resident fellow) but I think I can handle him. Plus, this room is a corner room, so it has 2 windows. The other RCC room only had one tiny window.

Changes in Branner:

• They renumbered the entire building - it used to be that even rooms were on the right side and odd rooms were on the left. Now, low-numbered rooms are on the right and high-numbered on the left. I guess it makes more sense this way, but it's less nostalgic for me.
  
• The third floor is coed - and has one bathroom. We'll see how this works out - I think I would have been slightly freaked as a freshman sharing a bathroom with guys. But that's the way it's going to be.
  
• There's an elevator. It goes from the ground floor to the first floor on the right side to the second floor. My half of the first floor, however, isn't handicapped accessible.
  
• The laundry room will have 8 washers and 16 (sixteen!!!!) dryers. Best of all, next year laundry will be a flat fee added to housing costs - which means UNLIMITED use of washers and driers. Maybe I'll do my laundry more than twice a quarter now.
  
• 802.11b wireless throughout the dorm, courtyard and dining hall!
  
• They're testing a new system for the outside doors. You either wave or swipe your ID card at a reader and it unlocks the door!
  
• Alex is the first female RA *ever* on the third floor.
  
• New dining hall - they're cooking in Branner, rather than shipping from Manzanita - but they restored the actual dining hall to its original glory. It's GORGEOUS, not sterile like I'd feared.
  
• The courtyard between the lounge and the dining hall is BEAUTIFUL. It used to be run down and shitty, now it's amazing.
  

It's gonna rock. I'm so excited. :D :D :D