The Julia A. Sears Residence Hall at MSU

We’ve encountered a lot of questions as folks are preparing to register for LauraPalooza. Registration opens Sunday. But one question many have asked as they think through their budgets and travel plans has to do with the on-campus housing option we’re offering.

People who opt for the dorm package as part of their registration will be staying in the Julia A. Sears Residence Hall, just across the street from the Centennial Student Union, which is where most conference events will be held. The Sears hall is the newest residential space on campus, built in 2008, and it’s beautiful. I toured it recently to get an idea of what our conference attendees can expect.

Meagan Hagerty, who coordinates residential life for MSU, guided me through clean, well-lit, spacious living areas. The main hallways and lounges feature large picture windows that face both north, toward campus, and south, abutting a wooded ravine. It’s a four-story structure with two wings; each wing of each floor can house 80 residents. Our attendees will be in the east wing of the second and third floors, housed together, and will have full access to vending on each floor, a free laundry, and common areas that include a kitchenette and lounge.

The building is also ADA-approved, accessible, and includes elevators for those with mobility needs.

An occupied room. The beds here are lofted; they will not be lofted this summer.

The rooms themselves feature two beds, two dressers, two closets, and one sink. Each room is connected to another identical room by a short hallway. On one side of that hallway is a lockable room with a toilet; the other side of the hallway features a walk-in, curtained shower stall.

There are also a limited number of “single” suites, which are smaller. Each room in a single suite has just one bed.

When you choose to stay in the hall with us, you can choose a double  ($110) or a single ($175). If you don’t have a roommate, but want the double rate, we’ll assign you a roommate of the same gender. We’ll be housing four of the same gender in each double suite. Exceptions? Spouses and children. We’ll house families in the same double suite, also. Just be very clear on your registration form who you want to stay with in your four-bed suite.

The dorm package rates include all meals from Wednesday night through Saturday, including the special meals we have planned for Thursday and Saturday. You’ll eat in the Carkoski Commons dining facility, which features a long buffet of a variety of dishes all day long. It’s all-you-can-eat at Carkoski Commons.

A second-floor, east-wing lounge in the Sears Residence Hall.

In case you’re worried about being on your own in the hall, we’re providing an on-site assistant to help with your needs. Kelly B., a senior public relations student at MSU who will graduate in May, is already working with housing and will continue to do so this summer. Kelly will stay in one of the rooms on site for the duration of the conference to be the on-site go-to person for all needs. She’s also planning a few special perks for those in the hall, including an ice-cream social Wednesday night.

Honestly, it sounds like and looks like such a good time I’m considering staying there myself–and I only live six blocks away!

For more information, including pictures, diagrams of the suites, and how students live in Sears, go here.