University of South Florida looks to shed commuter-school image with its new student housing

From The St. Petersburg Times: Hoping to shed its image as a commuter school offering a drive-through education, the University of South Florida in Tampa will dedicate a new $65 million residence hall on Friday. With 1,050 beds, Juniper-Poplar Hall opens as the university begins requiring incoming freshmen to live on campus. All the rooms are doubles and are grouped in pods. Thirty-five students live in each pod, with doors opening onto a common living room with armchairs and TVs. Juniper-Poplar is the largest residence hall on campus with seven floors. The residence hall cost $65 million to build and took 15 months to complete. The architect is Gould Evans.