Blazer Hall was awarded runner up in the 2008 Dorms of Distinction contest in the August issue of University Business magazine, adding to the accolades the building has garnered since its opening in fall 2006.

Blazer Hall recently added to its growing list of accolades when it was named runner up in the 2008 Dorms of Distinction contest in the August issue of University Business magazine.

UAB submitted a nomination to be included in the contest and received runner-up status out of 76 competing schools.

“We are very excited to be recognized, especially considering the number of schools that entered,” says Kris Schraeder, general manager of Blazer Hall. “I think the award recognizes that Blazer Hall is a home away from home and that students feel comfortable living here and their parents have confidence that they are safe.”

Schools interested in participating in the contest had to fill out a nomination forms, answering eight questions. The questions included describing the residence, if it was designed with a particular type of student in mind, describing how the residence hall helps foster a sense of community and elements of the residence hall that were incorporated to help residence feel at home.

“Blazer Hall was built with today’s college student in mind,” Schraeder says. “It was built in the center of campus, has numerous resident gathering areas, including the Residence Life Center, one entrance and exit for residents and ample space. The front desk also is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week and we have been at 100 percent occupancy since it was built. The students rave about the quality of the living space and the location.”

Blazer Hall has 753 beds and features two- and three-bedroom suites as living quarters in addition to study rooms on each floor for convenience.

Amenities include a theater room and a game room that features a 50-inch plasma TV and a Wii. Air hockey, foosball and arcade games soon will be added.

Blazer Hall also is host to a Freshman Learning Community class in the Residence Life Center classroom. “That’s a great way to connect academics to the out of classroom experience for students at Blazer Hall,” Schraeder says.

Blazer Hall was developed by Allen & O’Hara Education Services, Inc. and was honored regionally by South Central Construction Magazine as the Best Education Project of 2006. In 2006 and 2007, Blazer Hall was honored with the City of Birmingham’s Keep Birmingham Beautiful Award for outstanding landscape design.

To find out more about residence life at UAB, visit www.uab.edu/housing.