DeKALB | With room self selection starting up this month, the Northern Star will be looking at what each residence has to offer. Check back over the next several issues to read about which hall would fit you best.

Douglas Hall is located across from the Campus Recreation Center, and is the closest dorm to the athletic fields.

An advantage of staying in Douglas is the different living learning communities offered.

In the C wing of Douglas Hall is the Honors house, which students can electronically apply for if they meet certain requirements.

According to the hall’s website, a student must be in the top 10 percent of their high school class, with a minimum of a 27 on their ACT. Current NIU students applying to the house must have an overall grade point average of 3.20 to qualify.

If the student can meet those requirements, they can also participate in the various programs that are offered to the honors students.

Lauren Nale, a member of the honors house and a freshman rehabilitation services major, said she really enjoys the program and plans to return next year and apply for a leadership position.

“Next year I want to be a house leader, I like that I have the opportunity to move up in the house,” Nale said.

Honors students also enjoy the use of the honors lounge in Douglas which includes a TV with DVD player, a pool table, a piano, a computer lab and printer and an assortment of games, according to the website. The house has more academic benefits as well.

“Being in the [honors] house looks really good on your transcript and resume,” Nale said.

Another LLC in Douglas is the Science, Engineering, and Technology house, or SET. The SET house is located in the D wing of the hall, and has several specialized programs for its residents. Some of those include dinners with discussions led by faculty, trips to laboratories and industrial facilities in the region, and career-preparation events.

Students who wish to stay in the SET house must have a 2.5 GPA to be eligible.

The final LLC in Douglas is the International house, located in the B wing of Douglas. The International house is comprised of two academic residential programs and two general interest floors. According to their website students who live in the house will meet students from over 32 countries speaking more than 15 different languages.

Students living in the house may also be preparing for any of the 15 faculty-directed study abroad programs.

Douglas Hall is more than just its LLC’s; it also contains the Dog Pound Deli.

At the deli, students can order subs which are made right in front of them, much like the popular Subway restaurants. The deli also offers salads, chopped and whole fruit, desserts, and a variety of other foods on a day-to-day basis.

“They have a wider variety of breads, unlike at Subway. You can get a pretzel roll or a wrap,” said freshman biology major Michael Sunderman. He went on to say that for the price it is better than the sub chain.

The deli is the only dining option available in Douglas during the weekend and Friday evening.