Maddie Smith

The Neptune renovations should be universal for the residence hall, not located only in the West wing.

I learned about the renovations during summer orientation leader training. During our training session with Housing and Residential Services, we were encouraged to tell students about the exciting renovations occurring in Neptune, such as new flooring, movable furniture, and new lighting.

However, these renovations only occurred on the first and second floors of Neptune West, while floors 3 and 4, as well as Neptune North, go without, according to an Aug. 31 Northern Star article.

I feel if a residence hall is going to be renovated, then the entire building should be renovated. By updating only a couple of floors, residents of North and West live in different accommodations while paying the exact same price.

While lighting did receive an update in North, the biggest changes to the rooms in East came in the form of movable flooring which allows students to reposition their beds and desks to make the room feel more homey and comfortable.

Housing and Residential services does plan on renovating the rest of the residence hall in the years to come as part of their long-term plan, though the time between could create an imbalance among students. Those living in the renovated rooms now have a better quality of living, while the others are left paying the same price for rooms that have never been updated. A double in Neptune is currently $4,892 per semester or $9,784 for the year, according to Housing and Residential Services hall rates.

In order to adjust for the imbalance, I feel Housing and Residential Services and NIU should’ve adjusted the price for the students in the old rooms. It would’ve created a trade-off that compensated for the lack of renovations.

Maddie Steen

When the news came out Neptune was undergoing renovations, it sounded like a great plan; however, the renovations have still left students living with no air conditioning.

The Board of Trustees granted $5.4 million toward Neptune renovations on March 9, according to an Aug. 31 Northern Star article. The disappointing factor is that the university is gearing up for a $20 million renovation on the Holmes Student Center, according to the Holmes Student Center website. The Holmes Student Center may look a little outdated, but students don’t live there so it shouldn’t be the main priority.

Considering Neptune is in the middle of campus, these new updates might cause perspective students to gravitate toward Neptune. Flooring and lighting looks good in pictures, but students aren’t going to care if they’re too busy trying not to overheat. Even so, many of the discussed renovations are only for floors one and two in Neptune West.

Students living in Neptune don’t even have air conditioning, yet the student center is getting an unnecessary glass entry way, opening study areas up and relocating multiple groups including the bookstore, according to the Holmes Student Center website. Apparently, even a sports-themed grill is being added to the Holmes Student Center, according to an Aug. 30 NIU Today article.

The whole reason the Holmes Student Center is getting a much larger renovation is because of the foot traffic, events and because it hasn’t been renovated since it was built in 1961, according to the Holmes Student Center renovation site. The three sections of Neptune were built before the Holmes Student Center: North in 1955, West in 1959 and East in 1960, according to Inventory of the Student Housing Services in the NIU archives.

The actual renovations are disappointing because NIU needs to adequately take care of students’ needs before renovating a building to impress others. I’m glad their dining hall is finally being ramped up, as the rumor has always been that Neptune dining is the worst. This still doesn’t change my stance in believing NIU should have done more with Neptune.

To see photos of what the Holmes Student Center could look like after renovations, go to:http://bit.ly/2eNb84F