When $10.5 million Kemper Hall opened in September, university housing officials trumpeted its full kitchens, large bathrooms and luxurious air conditioning.

But in the seven months since it has opened, residents have discovered some of the dorm’s other features.

“It’s easy to get away with having lots of kegs in your room,” says Kemper resident Brendan Rose. “The RAs never really find out about it.”

The Weinberg junior drew 3,150 in last year’s lottery, but a friend pulled eight and drew him into the dorm.

Residents say despite the dorm’s sparkling freshness, Kemper’s virtues tend to be exaggerated by those living elsewhere.

“It is just like a regular dorm — the walls are still paper-thin,” says resident Ed Sawma, a McCormick junior. “It’s not that incredible, it’s just new.”

That didn’t stop 169 upperclassmen from listing Kemper as their first choice in last year’s housing lottery. While 80 spaces were reserved for incoming freshmen, 99 upperclassmen scored spots. The dorm was the first to close among females, who needed to draw 21 in the lottery to be guaranteed a room in Kemper’s freshly painted confines.

It was the second dorm to close among males, who needed a 143 to secure a room there. Hinman closed first with 86.

Administrators say Kemper has relieved some of the demand for more on-campus housing.

“It’s a very nice building, and it has helped by adding space,” says Bill Tempelmeyer, director of university housing. “(But) not everybody has the opportunity to live there.”

Those who do, say they are more than satisfied with their building, although they admit to certain drawbacks.

“When it was originally marketed, Kemper was supposed to be more for upperclassmen,” says Sawma, who chose to live in Kemper as a senior residential networking consultant. “Now it’s kind of half that, half regular dorm. I’m disappointed that it turned out not to be that way.”

Sawma also says the dorm’s location is less than ideal.

“The worst part is that it’s really far up north,” he says. “If you’re in Tech, it’s not that bad. But if you’re going down south, it’s a 15-minute walk.”

Rose says the dorm’s system of enclosed suites leads residents to isolate themselves from one another.

“It was really weird,” he said. “At first, it was so nice that it seemed like a hotel. You’re not going to meet people outside your suite as much as you would in Allison or Bobb.”

But despite initally feeling that the dorm had too much of an institutional quality, Rose says Kemper has begun to feel like home.

“It’s good now,” he says. “We have parties here all the time.”