Clayton Koff
Staff Writer
When we first started our Student Housing Option series, on-the-ball Bengals were booking apartment tours and saving up for security deposits. Now, with the end of the semester close at hand, some are scrambling to secure their housing for the summer and fall semester. Over the past few months, The Bengal has reviewed popular housing options in the Pocatello area, examining the floor plan, cost, amenities, community, management and proximity to campus at each. Next on the list is Turner Residence Hall.
Floor Plan
Turner Hall is the ideal location for freshman students looking to be a part of a living community while starting college. The Turner is your typical college living arrangement, with a single 11-foot-5-inches by 15-foot-10-inches bedroom, two twin-long beds that can be bunked, two full-sized wardrobes, two dressers that fit under the beds and two desks with a desk chair. There is a public shower facility and bathroom that the whole floor shares, as well as a laundry facility that has to be paid for with quarters.
Cost
Like the other housing options on campus, Turner requires that residents pay a $150 deposit upon application, as well as a flat rate of $1356 every semester. Turner does offer a unique option of getting a single room if you aren’t ready to have a roommate, but it does cost an additional $500. Since Turner is mostly lowerclassmen (although some upperclassmen do reside here), most residents will also need to purchase a meal plan according to university policy. As far as student living goes, Turner is one of the cheapest options.
Proximity to campus
Turner Hall is located right next to the Gale Life Science building and the education department on upper campus. The location in relation to the rest of the campus may not be ideal for some, but it is a great way to lose that “freshman 15” that will inevitably befall first-year students.
Amenities
The whole building has access to the school wi-fi that is fairly decent most of the time, and each bedroom has a cable connection so you won’t have to worry about missing the game. Residents have access to a 24-hour computer lab located in the basement, study rooms and a mailbox at the front desk, as well as a TV lounge on every floor. Residents also have access to the RAs at the front desk and on their floor, and there’s a phone number available so anyone can get ahold of them 24 hours a day. Turner also has the luxury of having the dining hall where most students spend their meal plan directly downstairs.
Community’s Opinion
Being one of the older residence halls, Turner doesn’t get as high of praise as some of the newer ones, but most residents agree that the community is the number one thing they love about living in Turner.
“I like Turner because you get to meet lots of people, whether it’s on the elevator or through floor events,” said Jordan Wallace, a Turner resident. “I hate how there isn’t an air conditioned, though. The rooms get super hot.”
The residents agree that the community is the best, but they also agree on some of their grievances with the building.
Carly Rye, another resident, is more vocal about them.
“The only good thing I have to say about Turner is how social it can be,” Rye said. “Things I dislike is you have to share a space with others, and that is bad because no one knows how to respect that space. The food is alright. Parking is never a problem except when you park beside the building under the windows because people will throw stuff out, and it lands on your car. Overall I will not be living here again.”
