By Aaron Heller<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No more living in the Admissions House or piling into dorm communal area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After an extended wait, Memorial Hall is finally open. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 125 residents were able to move into their newly renovated dorm building Saturday, Jan. 20, a semester later than expected. Students wasted no time cleaning out their temporary rooms and lugging all their belongings into Memorial Hall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Easton Kite, a first-year student moving from Coblentz Hall to Memorial, was ecstatic about the transition. \u201cBeing able to live in a nicer, more modern building, was definitely something I was looking forward to,\u201d Kite said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Along with his roommate, Kite rearranged the room into his ideal living condition. \u201cDespite the room itself feeling a lot smaller than my previous room, we were able to have the perfect setup that suits both of us,\u201d Kite said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Work on the project began in the fall of 2022. The renovations included the addition of a new elevator and converting rooms into suites. Memorial is equipped with a full-size functional kitchen, numerous study areas and countless hangout spots. The four-floor dorm is available for all classes to spend quality time with one another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harrison Ludington, a first-year student, really enjoys getting to know everyone who walks through the hallways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnlike my old dorm, Memorial allows me to not only engage with the people on my floor, but also the neighboring floors,\u201d Ludington said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The delay allowed Memorial to be equipped with top-of-the-line appliances and a proper elevator positioning. A highlight for students moving in is the communal bathrooms. Karron Mallory, a first-year student likes the newly renovated bathrooms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe showers and bathrooms are a huge highlight of the dorm. The old and dirty bathroom that I had to use in the first semester is something I never want to experience again,\u201d Mallory said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, the lack of parking near Memorial Hall presents an issue. Students are forced to walk across campus because all the surrounding area’s parking spaces are already taken. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe lack of parking in Memorial is definitely frustrating and inconvenient and many times I park behind Smith Hall,\u201d first-year Piper Wright said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
First-year student Emma Hutchens added, \u201cMy first surprise when moving in was the minimal parking and I thought to myself, this is it?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Memorial is the first of five residence halls on campus to be renovated. The next buildings due for renovation are Meyran, Smith, Coblentz, and Shriner. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"