Most first-years choose Max Palevsky (aka Max) for its unbeatable location, spick-and-span facilities, and—err—bright colors. Located just a short, rolling-out-of-bed walk from the main quads, the Reg, Bartlett, and Ratner, living in Max offers convenience that is especially appreciated in the dead of winter.

The strong house emphasis means that social circles often center around house life—with housecest, O-mances, and Max parties abounding. Groups of friends are often formed by proximity, and some students notice divisions between different floors or sides of the hall. The friendships entice many students to stick around past their first year, and the Office of Undergraduate Student Housing has shifted quotas to make staying in Max a bit easier.

Max seems a bit out of place on a campus peppered with neo-gothic structures and ivy-lined walls, but this refusal to conform is perhaps more daring and in the spirit of the quirkiness that defines the campus. On particularly clear autumn days, the building’s orange brick looks striking against the blue Chicago sky.

The new facilities make the singles and doubles of Max some of the cushier spots in the housing system. The faucets do not leak, paint does not flake off of the walls, and the desks have extra writing space that makes studying easier. Though this does avoid unnecessary headaches, some find the immaculate building verging on hospital-like sterility.