Find Fun and Friends at Founder's Hall

The University of Advancing Technology (UAT) is a pretty small campus with only two buildings: the main campus building and the dormitory. I discovered a whole new world of UAT when I moved into Founder's Hall, a melting pot of geek culture, where studious hackers, (really) excited robotics students, digital artists and designers gather to talk about the future of technology, crush energy drinks, tackle homework, shoot some pool, game all night, hash out problems and form lasting friendships. 

Founder's Hall is a three-story, dormitory that contains all of the amenities you might need during your time here at UAT. The quick rundown includes a laundry room, fully stocked kitchen, sound-proof community rooms (AKA "Think Tanks") that all have a theme and a specific purpose.

To start, the lobby hosts some pretty cool features, including the Resident Adviser desk (AKA the "RA Desk") and office of the Founder's Hall Manager, Shelby Epely. Shelby is currently a student at UAT as well as the Founder's Hall manager.

Shelby and the Resident Advisers (RAs) help maintain the dormitory and host recreational activities and events for students who live on or off campus to come and enjoy. They also handle disturbances and complaints, and they are always happy to talk to students, who can reach them via a 24-hour phone that is used in case of emergencies. Another unique feature in the lobby is the small tabletop top-down arcade cabinet that houses over 400+ arcade emulators and games for students to play absolutely free. No quarters required!

The doors also have elevators, which require a key card to unlock them. All of the side doors also require key cards to enter. Your personal key card will also open your dorm room.

Going up to the second floor, we have pool tables set up on either side of the elevator for students to play billiards anytime they like.

The second floor also houses the "game room," which students use to play video games, small table top games and card games. The room is set up with two TVs hooked up with Playstation 4 and Xbox One. You just need to bring your own games and controllers.

Right next to the elevator is our movie room. This room houses a projector and giant screen for displaying movies. It also has an awesome sound system. Students are encouraged to get comfy as the floor is covered with giant beanbag chairs and pillows to make movie watching an extreme luxury.

Going up to the third floor we have a few more unique rooms. An important room, to be sure, is our laundry room. It hosts multiple washers and dryers for students to use. One unique feature is the machine that can accept debit card transactions instead of using the traditional physical cash option.

We also have a mobile app that allows you to check the availability of machines and track the time remaining a wash or dry. The third floor also houses the kitchen and weight room.

Our kitchen houses all the basic necessities and tools needed to cook: ovens, microwaves, a rice cooker, toaster oven, fridge and freezer. We even have a bread maker! We also have multiple tools and utensils, including pots and pans, baking dishes, mixing bowls, measuring cups, knives, strainers, as well as community spices and ingredients that anyone can use. Students are free to cook anytime their stomachs start to grumble.

Next stop on our tour is the weight room. This room features a lot of different types of equipment for students who want to work out during their time at UAT. It houses a treadmill, free weights, pull-up bar, yoga ball, resistance bands, exercise bike and more.

In each wing of each floor, you can find a community room or "think tank" that has a unique purpose. For example, we have the conference think tank, that houses a large conference table, for group project meetings or a large role-playing table top game. All of the think tanks are sound resistant and are a perfect place to study if you need peace and quiet.

Our dorm rooms are unique too. All dorms house two people, not four or five. Students, however, can choose to share a bathroom or not. Students can select to have a private bathroom, which will only be accessible to the two students living in that particular dorm room. Compared to other dorms, Founder's Hall dorm beds are a bit bigger. The beds can be arranged as single beds or can be doubled up to create a bunk bed to make more space.

Each dorm houses a vanity sink and mirror with draws and a small cabinet underneath. Each student gets a dresser, a large desk and computer chair too. Each dorm also has a mini fridge and microwave for students to cook and store personal food in their rooms. Students are encouraged to bring items from home to make it more comfortable. This can include, couches and other types of seating and a bigger fridge.

All in all, Founder's Hall shows how much UAT cares about their students' wellbeing. The dorms are packed full of amenities to provide a safe and comfortable community space for students.

To learn more about life at Founder's Hall, sign up for a campus tour here. Participating students can also sign up to spend the nights in the dorm!