Penthouse Life in Uptown New Orleans

When people ask how to get into Buddig Hall as a freshman, tell them there are four possible routes.
1. 9th floor-The Spark Program (community service)
2. 10th floor- Cardoner (Honors/Leadership program of sorts)
3. 11th floor- Substance Free Living (#SayNo)
4. 12th Floor- Penthouse.

If we've spoken since this first week of September, chances are you have heard about the Buddig Penthouse. Dubbed fittingly as "The Penthouse" by yours truly, this magical place is much more than the top floor of Buddig hall. Upon first entrance of the penthouse, one immediately grasps that it is unlike any of the other Buddig floors. Perhaps the sun filtering through the expansive windows of the floor's lobby will catch their eye first, or the smell of something sweet and sugary wafting down the hall from the penthouse kitchen. In fact, what they likely noticed before any of this, is that only one elevator even makes the twelve floor journey to the penthouse. This is especially humorous considering the fact that most penthouse apartments (in my hometown of New York at least) only have one elevator leading up to them.

I got off the elevator at the 12th floor around 9:00 am, just a few hours after landing in New Orleans to start my first college semester. It was early, hot, and I had not slept a minute after a very long night that involved a goodbye to my girlfriend that I would not see for another 8 months, along with someone attempting to rob me. Needless to say, I was not in a good mood. I opened the door to my room with absolutely no idea what to expect. Would my roommate be there already? Did I have to go through that awkward interaction this early? What greeted me rather, was a large panel window in the middle of the room looking out over the city. At first I was relieved to have at least a nice view, given that I grew up with a view of the Empire State Building. Then I began to realize as I remembered looking up at the building, the top floor is the only floor with these windows. I played Lookin' Down on My City by Curren$y (who for those of you who don't know, is a rapper from New Orleans) over my speakers and look out at my new city, all the way from CBD to meterie. The lyrics of this song include "It ain't gon' stop 'til I'm mother [fluffin] penthouse livin', lookin' down on my city". It felt so right, and was genuinely a fantastic start to a semester.

I had been lucky enough to be thrown into Penthouse Society, along with my three suite-mates who are all music industry majors. Not only was I lucky enough to be in the nicer hall, I was placed in the best dorms in the building. Oh, and there's no RA living on the 12th floor, just Father Greg the Chaplin, so that's always nice.