Battle of the halls: New Rootes vs Old Rootes

Neither Rootes buildings are the most desirable halls. But which is worse? We put them in a head-to-head to find out.

Looks

You know which one you prefer

Let’s start of by talking about the buildings themselves. Have you seen Old Rootes? It looks like a hospital and a horrid one at that. The white plastic walls are so dinghy and drab, it’s depressing just to look at, and the bizarre climbing frame of artwork you have to walk past to get to it just reminds you of how tasteless the whole place is. New Rootes is hardly a beautiful piece of architecture but the at least the red brick is a little easier on the eyes.

Old: 0 – New: 1

Inside

It’s just so satisfying

Then you go inside Old Rootes and rather than the satisfying long corridor where you can see from M block right down to P, there’s a maze of creamy walls blocking your view. It’s so easy to get lost in Old Rootes and considering how all Rootes blocks are known for their collections of drunks, the confusing tunnels of Old Rootes just seems impractical for student life. You might well never end up in the right room. The only problem with New’s long corridors is you can never escape eye contact with that person who, on the third day or Freshers, you agreed to live with next year and have ignored their messages ever since.

It’s a trek to get to the outside even as well, the walk from the SU all the way to A block is tragically long, and the huge white walls around you make it feel even more tragic. It’s like you’re entering some strange asylum. The walk’s so long you can feel people staring at you from their windows and their judgement is tangible.

Old: 0 – New: 2

Flatcest levels

No flatcest here

There’s a clear winner here agin. Flatcest isn’t okay and Old Rootes seem to be experts at it. Don’t pull someone you share a toilet with (that’s my motto at least) and each kitchen has weird sexual tension between at least three people that makes everyone feel a little uncomfortable. At least in New Rootes we mingle between kitchens, it’s not a whole lot better but the only tension happens at block parties or pre-drinks and there’s enough people in the room to diffuse it, normally.

Old: 0 – New: 3

Fire alarm

It’s really not that hard

Why are people in Old Rootes so adept at setting off the fire alarm? Everyday another block has to wake up to the screeching tones of the fire alarm – why are you so incapable of making toast? I don’t want to cast assertions on the intelligence of Old Rootes students but the fire alarm doesn’t go off nearly half as much in New. Maybe we’re just better at the whole making toast thing, some people clearly find it too complicated.

Old: 0 – New: 4

Location

I will agree that both the far sides of New and Old Rootes have the pain of living across from Bluebell which entails looking into their tidy kitchens and clean rooms. The whole building it’s oddly depressing when you’re hungover on a Saturday morning. But New wins again because H-L block look over Whitefields, which makes anyone feel good about their accommodation really.

Old: 0 – New: 5

Reputation

The only thing Old Rootes has going for it is that it is so scummy it’s almost endearing. Old Rootes has the charm of Frankie Boyle – utterly filthy but in a funny way. For that it merits a point.

Old: 1 – New: 4

It’s a no contest, really: Out with the Old and in with the New.