- Pierce Tower
Pierce Tower is a
co-ed residence hall at theUniversity of Chicago . It is a ten-story brick and concrete building located two blocks north of the main quadrangles, one block north ofRegenstein Library andBartlett Commons , and one block west ofGerald Ratner Athletics Center . Pierce is also the home of one of the university's three dining halls.History
Pierce Tower was constructed in the 1950s. [University of Chicago Prospective Students Advisory Committee. " [http://psac.uchicago.edu/VirtualDormTour/pierce/ University of Chicago Virtual Dorm Tour] ." Retrieved on 2008-07-29.] Elements of its design were supposedly incorporated in order to protect against the perils riots posed at the time.Fact|date=July 2008 While originally intended to be two identical towers, construction on the west tower was never completed.Fact|date=July 2008
Residential Life
Pierce is the home of 250 undergraduates from all years, split between four residential "houses": Tufts, Henderson, Thompson, and Shorey. [University of Chicago Housing & Dining Services. " [http://rh.uchicago.edu/hds/housing/residence_halls/profiles/index.php?building_id=pt Profiles - University of Chicago Housing & Dining Services] ." Retrieved on 2008-07-29.] Each house is composed of residents living on two floors that share a central, two-story lounge complete with kitchenette and fireplace. The rooms - a mix of double and single sizes - are located in the hallways surrounding the lounges. Each room contains a bay window and north-facing rooms on higher floors have a view of the Chicago skyline. In addition to study rooms located within every house, there is a study space and computer lab on the top floor. In the past, this residence hall also contained a student-run dark room.
Due to the relatively smaller-sized rooms - and thus very lounge-oriented living - Pierce has a reputation for being a social dorm. While open to all undergraduate students, the dorm is primarily composed of first- and second-year students.
TANSTAAFL
TANSTAAFL (There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch) is a late-night student-run snack shop located on the ground floor of Pierce Tower. The space also contains a pool table, couches, and cable television.Pierce Dining Hall
The ground floor of Pierce Tower is primarily occupied by one of the three dining halls located on the University of Chicago campus. Twelve houses from four residence halls have house tables located here. [University of Chicago Housing & Dining Services. " [http://www.rh.uchicago.edu/hds/dining/house_tables/ House Tables - University of Chicago Housing & Dining Services] ." Retrieved on 2008-07-29.] Pierce Dining Hall was renovated and given a more modern look in the summer of 2006.
Notes
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