New Sid Rich is ready to rock

The new Sid Richardson College tower is ready to rock — literally.

With a pair of speakers permanently mounted to the roof of the 12-story building, the recently completed college will have all the amplification it needs to continue hosting Radio Free Sid every Friday afternoon, a tradition that dates to 1975 and ushers in the weekend with a playlist heard across campus.

The college is ready for students to move in too, and welcomed its first Sidizens this semester as students trickled back to campus. Old Sid, built in 1971, was previously the tallest building on campus but housed the smallest student population. Now, the college has a total capacity of 312 students.

While there are no balconies off the rooms anymore, New Sid does boast a massive second-story patio, a second-floor private dining room that overlooks the main dining area, an abundance of study spaces and common areas, and a kitchen for students in addition to a new entrance to Seibel Servery. There’s even a lounge for off-campus Sidizens to kick back and relax while on campus.

Sid Richardson College president Nia Prince, a senior, served on the New Sid Committee that ensured student preferences were incorporated into the new college. In the video above, Prince and director of housing and dining David McDonald offer a tour of New Sid from an inside perspective. (Video by Brandon Martin; photo by Jeff Fitlow)