Life Behind Bars: Moberly House Responds

The previous article on Moberly caused quite a stir amongst the residents of this infamous hall. We’re used to the pitying looks we get when we mention where we live, but Anna’s piece rather took the biscuit. I doubt she hung around for any length of time – just snapped a few unflattering photos and legged it back to her own comfy quarters.

No one is denying our halls are in dire need of some major renovating – never mind a bit of mould in the showers, how about the torrents of water that poured down some walls during February? And don’t even get me started on the single plug socket situation…

Alright then, which one of you nutters brought a tree in?

But we cope. We compare situations and laugh about it. We help clear up each other’s messes (far easier when you don’t have carpet) and play pranks on each other. We put up with all the crap the building (and the students) gives us because of the people we live with.

Prelash at Moberly. Cake is optional.

Unlike most of Exeter’s halls, we don’t have fobs which only let us into specific areas, just a swipe card in and a key to our room. Once you’re into Moberly, you can go anywhere, which means we mix way more than the residents of Holland with all their fancy suites. Thanks to our lovely(!) common room, pre-lash is a very social event; a time is set and everyone congregates. And as anyone who has been there will know, Moberly pres are notoriously messy.

Yup, I’m serious.

Residents of Moberly are a close-knit group. Where else would a boys vs girls rugby friendly have sprung up after one drunken comment? We live together, we go to eat together, we get drunk together, and we deal with our pretty dreadful accommodation together. But regardless of how god-awful our residence looks to outsiders, we’ll have the last laugh. Next year is student housing, and when our previously-pampered friends are complaining about the state of their new homes, we’ll be settled right in.

Because after all, it won’t be as bad as Moberly, will it?