Three of Mississippi State University’s residence halls were included last week in a list of the Best 14 Dorms in the Country. The list was composed by the Campus Splash network as part of their Dormy Awards, given in conjunction with the launch of their new offshoot website DormSplash.
Hurst Hall, Griffis Hall and Ruby Hall were all included on DormSplash’s list of the best dorms. Ratings were based on student reviews and scored out of five. Hurst Hall came in fifth with a score of 4.5, Griffis Hall was 10th and Ruby Hall was 11th, both with a score of 4.3. Reviews are based on room size, cleanliness, parking, convenience, bathrooms, kitchens, study environment, social scene and staff. Hurst Hall and Ruby Hall also were ranked on the website’s list of dorms with the most attractive residents. 
DormSplash was launched last Tuesday with over 7,100 reviews as a resource to help students learn more about their university’s residence halls. Site creator Allen Gannett said he was excited about the new site.
“I think it’s important that students have a way to communicate with their schools whether or not they like their housing,” he said.
The purpose of CampusSplash is to generate news and applications to help and provide college students with useful information. The site includes articles such as interviewing tips, ways to find cheaper textbooks and admissions information for high school students.
“As long as [students] find it useful, that’s great,” Gannet said.
He said so far, the response to the new housing site has been very positive.
“People have really enjoyed it to help them check out where they’re going to live next year,” he said. “It’s a good place to vent too.”
Tiesha Crawford, resident director of Ruby Hall and graduate student in public policy and administration, said she agrees these residence halls are some of the best in the country.
Ruby Hall is the largest residence hall on campus and houses 450 students, including many athletes and upperclassmen.
“I like the vibe,” she said. “It’s just the different personalities and different cultures and backgrounds of students who live in these buildings who get to interact.”
Some students complain there is a lack of community in these halls. Crawford said that is something she and her staff have really worked hard to overcome.
“We’ve done a really good job this year getting our residents out of their rooms, or their hotel rooms, in sense,” Crawford said.
She said they have had hallway programs and events, such as Pie Your RA and a Minute to Win It game show-style competition.
Despite some complaints, some students still love the new residence halls, especially with amenities such as personal bathrooms and the option of a private room.
Olivia Cohen, freshman kinesiology major, said she loves Hurst Hall’s diverse group of residents, and everyone gets along.
“Having my own bathroom is luxury,” she said. “Sometimes it’s nicer than my room at home because the bathroom’s bigger. It’s a clean, nice place to live, and I like it a lot.”
Any student can go to dormsplash.comto write a review about his or her residence hall.
Gannett said a competition is currently being held in which the university that receives the most reviews by April 2 will win a massive cupcake party.