Kincannon is the oldest residence hall on the campus of Ole Miss, but don’t let the age fool you! Most freshmen can’t wait to leave the dorms, but that’s not always the case for residents of Kincannon. Here are the Top 5 reasons why.
1. The Staff
“This is a dedicated staff that loves the job that they do. The staff received ‘Staff of the Year’ last year, and we also received ‘Community Assistant of the Year’ within our staff. When we say ‘Kincannon Hall of Champions,’ our staff really means it, and we feel like everyone is a champion. You won’t always live in Kincannon but when you do, you live like a champion,” said Courtney Rollins, the Kincannon Hall Graduate Community Director.
Eight of the hall’s community assistants returned from last year. With experience under their belts, serving and mentoring these young men shouldn’t be a difficult task.
2. The Events
“Hall of Champs” week is right around the corner. This bi-annual celebration consists of many events, including root beer pong, video game tournaments, speed dating and sex education. Providing entertainment for these young men creates a vibe of brotherhood and unity.
“It’s what you make it; we have open mic nights, pingpong tables and various events such as barbeques taking place, and these are all influenced by the residents and the staff,” said Rollins.
The events in Kincannon aren’t just for the residents either — students, faculty and staff from all over the campus are always welcome.
3. The Diversity
“There are tons of international students that are located in Kincannon. There are tons of students from Mississippi and other parts of the United States. But we don’t just have diversity in geographical locations, we have diversity in the way people are. You’ll see people from all walks of life hanging out and interacting with each other,” Rollins said.
Provost Scholars, hockey players and upper classmen are a few of the many groups housed in Kincannon. If you have an open mind, you will fit in perfectly in this residence hall says Aditya Khare, a community assistant from India.
“The atmosphere is pretty cheerful; Kincannon is all guys so there is a lot of fun going on. We just recently got the pingpong table so there are lots of people playing pingpong. We go to classes together and we study together.”
4. The Location
Students who live in Kincannon shouldn’t have any excuses when it comes to making it to class on time or making it to the Turner Center to burn some calories.
“We’re situated in walking distance, a hop, skip and a jump away from a lot of campus resources — the library, the student union, the other traditional halls on campus. We’re also very close to Jackson Avenue and the Square,” said Rollins.
Everything on campus is within a 10-minute walk. Kincannon is located on Rebel Drive, and it is directly across the street from a few bus stops, if you don’t have a car and want to get off campus.
5. The Overall Vibe
In past years this place was called “Kincompton,” but over the last 12 months, the vibe has changed for the good.
“If you walk through the lounge during any time of the day, there’s always something going on, always some friendly faces and always some strong friendly men willing to welcome you into the Kincannon Hall of Champions,” Rollins said.
For 9 months each academic year, Kincannon is the home to 500 men. This year, it’s home sweet home.
Story contributed by Brandon Rook, Ole Miss journalism graduate student, bcrook@go.olemiss.edu.
