Walking out of my room on the second floor of Bartlett to a crowd of people was a shock last October. I probably should have turned
around and returned to my room after seeing all the people in the
tight hallway. Across from the water fountain was my RA’s room
where all the people were going in. They looked a little silly all
coming in and out of the small room. As I was getting my water, an older gentleman who was a member of the gang of explorers in Bartlett Hall turned to question me. I was not prepared for the
questioning that followed about how long I had lived there and what I thought about the building and my past rooms in Maxey. I was a little shocked by the questions, and I answered them to the best of my ability, without destroying their image of the dorms. When asked which I liked better, I talked about how great elevator versus the A/C in the other. Later I would find out that these were not just alumni, but also members of the board of trustees.
No dorm is perfect, and they each have their flaws before you even get to potential health risks. Maxey’s walls are thin, you can hear everything. My freshman year I could hear the alarm that my neighbor set on their phone every morning. Maxey has elevators but is really far from everything else on campus for me. Bartlett, while in a nice location for me, has too many stairs. It is not accessible, and the rooms are really small with all the furniture. These are only the places that I have direct experience with.
After reading the email sent out last week about how they are
renovating Crawford Hall and creating more housing with single-use shipping containers, I was even more shocked and confused. I have been to Crawford a couple of times, but I am still curious as to why it is the first one to get these extensive renovations? I am also curious how much of the Hawthorn parking lot they will be using for this project. Lastly, I want to know the significance of that tour and how seriously the Board and Administration are taking housing complaints.
Nina Earle
Staff Reporter
