Samantha Beck/ Winonan

Winona State University’s Housing and Residence Life will host tours of unique dorms on campus.

On Thursday, Jan. 29, students are welcome to an open house of several dorms for the students to tour for an inside view.

The halls include Kirkland, Sheehan, the Quad, Lourdes Hall and Maria Hall.

The tour is 6 to 8 p.m., but associate director and RHA advisor Candace Guenther does not require students to take up their evening for the tour.

“Students don’t have to block off two hours,” she said. “They can come anytime and tour one hall if necessary. The point of this tour is to showcase all the different options the campus offers.”

The tour includes unique rooms from each hall. It will feature the suites from Kirkland, the larger and single rooms from Sheehan, and rooms from the Quad with sinks and private bathrooms. The tour will highlight the rooms from Lourdes and Maria Hall, which will be the former staff apartments with its own full private bathroom.

“Every student desires something different,” Guenther said.  “This is to show the students that there are other choices rather than living off campus.”

Cailie Ronayne, a junior nursing major, stayed on campus for her second year at Winona.

“I lived in Kirkland my second year because it was right on campus and it was really nice,” Ronayne said.

Kirkland has suites with single bedrooms and double bedrooms with their own private bathrooms that is a popular pick for students.

“I had my own room and a private bathroom I shared with my close friends.  It felt like a second home to me,” Ronayne said.

There are possible positive aspects on living on campus other than being right on campus.

“Many students who stay on campus after their freshman year can find leadership and employment opportunities in many of the halls,” Guenther said.

To participate in this event, students can visit the Housing and Residence Life office and pick up a packet.  This packet will include the dimensions of each room and the appropriate papers to sign up for the dorm.  The students with the most credits are given first pick of the dorms.

The packet also includes a ticket, which needs to be filled out, and brought to the tour for your chance to win a prize basket.  Each hall will have a Warrior’s basket filled with warrior gear.  The winner is randomly drawn at each hall from a basket.