Olivia Argeros is a freshman on the women’s soccer team. She lives on campus her first year at MSU and is surrounded by student-athletes in South Neighborhood.

“I wouldn’t say it’s an advantage to be surrounded by all student-athletes, but socially I think it helps a lot to connect with others because we all go through similar situations,” Argeros said.

Case Hall, Wonders Hall, Wilson Hall and Holden Hall are the dorms that make up the student-athlete living space. Each dorm is known for a certain type of athlete.

Case Hall is where most of football players reside. Academic sophomore and cornerback for the football team Joshua Butler said living in Case Hall is convenient because it's only a short walk away from the Skandalaris Football Center.

North and South Wonders halls have a variety of student-athletes within its walls. Wonders Hall houses almost every type of athlete from wrestling, golf and gymnastics to track and field and soccer. Even though there isn’t a cafeteria inside the building anymore, it is the center residence hall of South Neighborhood, surrounded by three cafeterias.

Argeros said she is thankful for the cafeterias being so close, and said a lot of people take it for granted that they’ll be close to the things they need in the coming years.

“My favorite part about living in South Neighborhood is living in the same building as other athletes and teammates,” DeJuan Jones, sophomore forward on the men’s soccer team, said. “We make a lot of memories in the dorms and I’m even happy to have another year to even make more memories.”

For athletes on the track, gymnastic, wrestling and volleyball teams, the walk to Jenison Field House for their corresponding facilities is approximately 10 minutes. Athletes who travel to the complexes at Old College Field, like DeMartin Soccer Stadium, Secchia Softball Stadium and McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field are all within a close proximity to Wonders Hall as well.

Another perk of student-athletes living in South Neighborhood is the Clara Bell Smith Center — an academic facility for student-athletes where they meet with their advisers, get access to free tutoring and have access to areas to study for any classes including two active computer labs and free printing.

“It’s so convenient to live so close to our practice field and academic center,” Jones said. “That’s where I spend the majority of my time, so the proximity was a huge factor for me.”

Sophomores have the option to move off campus after freshman year, but with everything in such close proximity, some student-athletes wait before they transition into apartment lifestyle. Butler said he plans to wait to move off campus until there are apartments closer to the football building, while Jones wanted to stay on campus to stay connected to student life.

“I feel like if I stayed off campus this year I would miss out on many things — also, I wanted to have one more year to be a kid,” Jones said. “I feel like moving into an apartment is one step closer to being an adult, so I’m glad I decided to have one more year in the dorms.”