Living in Ogg Hall can be more challenging than any other dorm due to the rumors surrounding it. Since Ogg is reaching the end of its tenure, it is time to set the record straight about one of the most notorious dorms on campus.
Ogg Hall is the newest dorm on the UW-Madison campus. 'The demolition of Ogg has nothing to do with its age; it's Ogg's design problems which are why it's being removed,' said Paul Evans, Director of University Housing. 'It would take a little over $8 million to renovate.'
One reason Ogg would be costly to renovate is because it needs a fire sprinkler system installed. 'Ogg Hall is the only high rise without a sprinkler system,' Ogg Building Supervisor Jim Shomberg said. Ogg will be replaced by new dorms, exempting Ogg from putting in a costly new system.
'We do at least one planned fire drill a semester. The alarm system itself runs tests to make sure it's always being maintained,' Evans said.
The elevators can also pose problems for residents. In each set of elevators only one elevator stops at all floors, the other stops only on odd floors.
'The elevators are one of the design problems. It was thought that it would be quicker coming down especially from the top floor if you didn't have to stop at every floor, but it just never works,' Evans said.
Ogg residents also face the challenge of becoming mentally and physically accustomed to small living. The Ogg website shows a typical room as being 15'6\ by 10'6"", making the rooms the smallest out of the residence halls.
'I expected dorm rooms to be small, but after going around to the other residence halls, I was mad because our dorms are smaller than Chad or even Sellery's, but I've gotten used to it,' UW-Madison freshman Tom Bowerman said.
Also, socializing can be difficult in a building seemingly designed for efficiency. Only the odd floors have dens, providing less neutral space for residents to get to know each other.
'I'm going to be glad to see the new dorms built: the rooms will be larger, and you won't have to walk around four walls to see a person,' Shomberg said.
Of course when cockroaches and other pests stop by, the living space in Ogg can become even less inviting.
'Ogg does have roaches, and a lot of other buildings do, too. It's usually across from the trash room where you'll experience a lot of activity; students leave out a lot of food which attracts them,' Shomberg said. Many of the insects students worry about have been upheaved by the recent construction. Yet most residents and staff would agree that Ogg is kept as clean as possible for a dorm of its size.
'The people can be dirty but that's not the fault of Ogg,' freshman M.G. Huth said.
However, many residents seem to have a genuine pride in their Ogg resident status.
'The best part about living in Ogg are the relationships you make and the people you meet,' UW-Madison freshman Tony Canales said. Freshman make up 95 percent of students that live in Ogg, and it is that unique sense of first-year bonding which contributes to Ogg's atmosphere.
Ryan Bouchard, residence life complex coordinator for Ogg Hall, agrees freshman make living in Ogg special.
'The energy of the freshmen is great; they bring in great leadership ideas and are a lot of fun. They care about their community and they are invested in fighting rumors about Ogg,' he said.
