A look into how athletes live their daily lives in the dorms
One of the most typical aspects of the “college experience” is the first time in a residence hall.
The dorms often allow individuals to learn to share a room with another person and the close proximity to other students can aid the socialization among residents.
Among the residents who call the residence halls on campus “home” are student-athletes.
Student-athletes get a head start on moving into residence halls as they have to be on campus before most students in order to start practice.
“Being an athlete, we have to come in early (to move in),” said Quiera Lampkins, women’s basketball guard. “It’s just you and your teammates.”
When Lampkins was a freshman, she moved into the residence halls with five other freshmen, four of whom were on the men’s basketball team.
“We sort of tried to stick together,” Lampkins said. “I eventually ended up finding one of my best friends.”
Even though Lampkins lived around her teammates and other athletes, she still found it easy to socialize with regular students.
“I lived on Sargent (Hall) on West Green, and all of the athletes lived there,” Lampkins said. “But there was also just regular students who lived there as well.”
The merging of these two groups inside the dorms allows for a cross-section of student involvement.
Being within walking distance of various university buildings and properties, it is easy for anyone to attend events that occur on the campus, whether its sporting events or campus activities.
“I believe it is vital to live in the dorms as a freshman,” Lampkins said. “Because of this, you get the campus experience.”
Life as a freshman and life in the residence halls offers new, and sometimes challenging, experiences.
Student-athletes living in the dorms are prone to the same challenges faced by the “regular students” they live among. They still have homework to finish, tutors to attend and advisors to meet with. Student-athletes do have unlimited meal swipes as a part of NCAA rules and regulations for student-athletes. Also, the Sook Academic Center is in the works to provide a tutoring and academic center for student-athletes.
The overall positive experience surely outweigh the challenges, however, as Lampkins said she became ingrained in Athens’ culture and meet some of her best friends along the way.
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