The memories alumni have from the early days of dorm life at USF will not be lost when the university tears down its original dorms for a redevelopment project.

Related: USF to demolish oldest dorms to make way for new housing

Alumnus Hyde Kirby, who graduated in 1982, lived in Alpha Hall while attending USF. Alpha Hall, now known as Kosove Apartments, was USF’s first dorm and co-ed hall. 

“I think it [the best part of living in the dorms] was the camaraderie and craziness of the era that were so well captured,” he said. “And, not to mention the lifelong friendships that developed out of the four years I spent there.”

Despite the frequent visiting of cockroaches, Kirby said the hall fostered community events, parties and friendships. The loss of this “connection to the past” is “unfortunate,” but he’s understanding because of USF’s growth.

Kirby still lives close enough to Tampa that he can drive through and see how the university has changed. He said it’s become “hard to recognize” the buildings because of the change that has occurred since he was a student.

Related: USF residents won’t need to relocate during demolition of some dorms

Kathy Davanzo worked as a resident instructor in the all-female Gamma Hall, now Betty Castor Hall, from 1975 to 1980. She was responsible for selecting the resident assistants (RAs), creating educational programming and helping students living on campus.

As a resident instructor, she helped resolve conflicts in dorms and support students who needed help adjusting to their first year in college.

“We had a lot of freshmen in Gamma and Beta…so you needed to have good listening skills,” she said. 

Davanzo, a University of Miami graduate, chose to work at USF after meeting an assistant director of housing from USF. Despite not being a student, she got to experience the camaraderie built in the Argos Center through frequent meals with RAs and events.

She said the redevelopment of the Argos center is a way for young adults to have the residential experience while still meeting the demand for more private living.

“I think student expectations have changed and what students want in their living experience have changed and I think the university has to be prepared for that,” she said. 

Related: USF apartment-style dorms will not be available to first-time-in-college students

One RA, Randy Norris, who graduated in 1979, said living in the all-male Beta Hall allowed him to meet lifelong friends. 

When he heard about USF’s proposal to redevelop the Argos center, he said he called several friends he is still in touch with to share the news.

“I have a warm place in my heart for Beta Hall, but it’s a building,” he said.

Norris said he understands the need for updated dorms and that the old cinder block buildings from the Argos Center have served their purpose. The redevelopment will better meet the needs of today’s residents and hopefully foster the same community feeling he experienced. 

When he lived on campus, he said dorm life was very community-focused, with spirit squads, which he equated to the modern SoFlo Rodeo. Each hall also had a hall council responsible for hosting parties and events.

“We had some pretty unique parties,” Norris said.

Related: USF’s soon-to-be demolished dorms were home to pranks and community life

“Beer golf” was a popular game in Beta Hall. 

Norris said him and his friends would all dress up in golf clothes and play a golfing version of today’s beer pong. They would also fill album covers with shaving cream, slide it under someone’s door and stomp on it to spray shaving cream into their neighbor’s rooms.

He said all of the shenanigans were never dangerous or harmful, but entertaining. 

“Safety was a big deal,” Norris said.

Related: USF students might not be able to contact SAFE Team. Here’s why.

As an RA, Randy Norris sometimes had to step in to keep the shenanigans under control, such as when residents took the makeshift hall slip n’ slide too far.

“Somebody got the idea of opening the hall door, which was into the stairwell,” he said. “So, that’s when you kind of stepped in and made sure nobody got hurt.”

Randy Norris also met his wife while working as an RA. Given the proximity of the dorms, men from Beta Hall frequently ended up with the women in Gamma Hall, while men and women from the co-ed Alpha Hall often dated.

Michele Norris, Randy’s wife, who graduated in 1979, said she “completely grew up” in Gamma Hall. Living in the dorms was “a very comfortable time” where she made friends she still spends time with today.

“I got a really wonderful opportunity to experience diversity in a way that I relished and learned from,” she said.

She also decided to become an RA to foster community in Gamma Hall. This community was built through parties, intramural sports, lunches with other dorms at the Argos dining hall and the Toilet Tribune, a newsletter about dorm life stored in communal bathroom stalls.

Related: USF complies to new bathroom rules mandated by state

Michele said the experience taught her how to be a leader and led her to her career as an executive leadership coach. 

She said the alumni “would love to” stop by USF one more time to see the dorms they lived in before they are demolished.

While other universities do try to preserve its legacy buildings, she said the old dorms at USF are just not practical for students to live in anymore. Despite the memories Michele has there, she said it was time for a change.

“Our memories will not be lessened because the buildings aren’t there,” she said.