LUKE FERRARO & LOUISE IRPINO | STAFF REPORTERS |  lferraro@butler.edu & lirpino@butler.edu

As movers unpacked the cars of incoming students on a Saturday afternoon, close to 650 first-year students found their way to the brand new Irvington House. Some 470 others carried on into ResCo.

Another 200 or so students assigned to live in the 64-year-old Ross Hall trekked to their new home for the school year.

These 200 first years, the only students on campus living without air conditioning, are in Ross for one of two reasons. Students either chose to live in Ross, or were placed there out of necessity due to the Class of 2022’s size of 1,336 students — Butler’s largest first year class in history.

The first-year class created overflow into Ross — a residential facility that was ceremonially closed at the end of the last spring semester.

Butler provided the opt-in opportunity for first years, though those who filled out their housing contracts closer to the deadline were automatically placed there regardless of their housing preference.

One of those students who found themselves living in Ross was first-year David Quintanilla. Quintanilla, however, said he was pleased about joining the Ross community upon his arrival at Butler.

“I feel like Ross is like a good stepping stone from moving out of your house and then moving into the college life,” Quintanilla said. “Having Ross and all its simplicities is a nice place to get used to as your first year at school.”

Ross features the largest rooms a first-year can reside in for the lowest rate. That said, its communal bathrooms and lack of air conditioning — part of a “more traditional co-ed first-year residence hall” — according to Butler’s website, are often noted among students as pitfalls compared to the other first year residence halls.

On the other hand, Katie Craig, first-year international business major, said she would’ve appreciated being placed in ResCo or Irvington — especially with the current hot temperatures.

“It is so hot and gross right now that AC would be really nice,” Craig said. “Would I have enjoyed [ResCo or Irvington]? Yes, but I wasn’t super disappointed when I found out I was in Ross.”

Kyla Maloney, a senior pharmacy major and resident assistant in Ross, said the new students have adjusted to the residence hall rather quickly.

“At first, students seemed a bit weary as they all wanted to live in the new building, but now I can tell that they all really enjoy being here,” Maloney said. “They all have already developed such a nice community. This was great for me to see as an RA, with how lovely they are to each other.”

“Ross Love” is the catchphrase used to describe the community fostered throughout the building.

“The first couple of days during RA training, I had to learn what ‘Ross Love’ was,” Maloney said. “It’s definitely a positive and you can make something great out of it.”  

Sophie Ciokajlo, a first-year dance performance major, said Ross Love still exists.

“I feel like all the upperclassmen told me how great the Ross Love is,” Ciokajlo said.

“But you don’t really know about Ross Love until you experience it.”