East Campus or West Campus? The debate over which is the better side of App State’s campus is a minor culture war among its students. Is Trivette or Roess the better dining hall? Are west side’s residence halls that much better than east’s? Is the Duck Pond or Sanford Mall the better place to hang out? It’s time to settle the debate. At the risk of making enemies of west side loyalists, I’ve got to side with east side. Here’s why:

East Campus is by far the more convenient side of campus. Some of the most important and widely used campus landmarks like the student union, library, bookstore and Sanford Mall are less than a five minute walk from any of the residence halls on the east side. King Street is also a quick walk away. The west side does have the football stadium, which is a great place to be on game days, but it can also be a bit of a pain if football isn’t your thing.

Along with its many essential campus buildings, east side also has better dining options. After all, Roess is the dining hall with the Chick-fil-A. Now, which side of Roess is better, upper or lower, is a debate of its own. (Upper is the correct answer, by the way). In addition to an on-campus Chick-fil-A, east side also has dining options in the student union, including McAlisters and Crossroads. In terms of on-campus dining, east side once again takes the cake.

Although I’m a fan of the east side of campus, I’ve got to hand it to the West Campus—it does have better residence halls. But the shiny, new west side buildings are sorely lacking in friendly resident ghosts. I’m sure any former East Hall resident would be more than happy to recount their paranormal encounters. New doesn’t always mean better, after all who doesn’t love a good ghost story? Even though the east side living quarters are older, and depending on who you ask, slightly haunted, the benefits of living on that side make it worth dealing with a spooky dorm or two. 

Of course, both sides of campus have their perks and drawbacks. The west side has the stadium, the Duck Pond and newer residence halls, but the east side’s convenience, food options, proximity to King Street and walkability make it the better side of App State’s campus.