New Residence Hall has positive reaction

By Erin Kolb

The New Residence Hall Complex has been gaining a positive reaction from students.

The still-unnamed residence hall offers students services and features that separate it from other residence halls. Students are able to use a fitness center, study with more privacy and share smaller bathrooms.

The feedback from the students has been good thus far, said Michael Stang, executive director of Housing & Dining.

“The most common feedback is that they can’t believe how nice it is,” Stang said.

While many students think the residence hall is nice, a common complaint has been the “spotty” cellphone service, Stang said. In some areas it is hard to get a cellphone signal.

“The building is so well constructed that it’s hard for service to penetrate the walls,” Stang said. “We’ve been in contact with Verizon, who is working to adjust their coverage area to serve the students here.”

Sophomore nursing major Janea Williams is an assistant hall supervisor and resident of the residence hall. Williams said she lived in Neptune East before and one thing she likes about the new hall compared to others is that the rooms are set up with two single rooms that share a bathroom with two sinks.

“Without a community bathroom there is less likelihood of getting fines for what other people do,” Williams said.

Freshman undecided major Ashley Cox said she likes the way her room is set up to give her more privacy for studying. However, she said she wishes the location of the residence hall was different.

“It’s forever away from everything,” Cox said. “It is nice that it’s close to the other residence halls, though, and closer to campus than Stevenson.”

The residence hall’s population is about 50 percent freshmen, 40 percent returning students and 10 percent transfer students, Stang said.

Information will be available in October for students interested in signing up for the new residence hall, he said.