After a summer of maintenance ferreting around empty rooms, tearing up stained carpeting, and slathering on paint, residence halls were made ready for students’ return this fall.
Over the last few months, many dorms underwent mass renovations, including Ruggles, Woodbridge, Broadway, McBain, and John Jay. The year-long renovation of the brownstone which houses Delta Sigma Phi was completed after a delay caused by the extent of previous damages.
The north side of Ruggles was completed to match the south-side renovations undergone last year. In Woodbridge, three apartments were given “green” makeovers with environmentally friendly materials and energy-saving appliances, while CUIT and Housing collaborated to make Broadway the first fully wireless residence hall. Broadway also saw the installation of flat-screen TVs and vinyl flooring, while the 14th and 15th floors of John Jay had dingy carpets replaced with hardwood floors.
Students living in McBain returned to the addition of a second elevator that, though it accelerated move-in, has also been a source of frustration for some.
“My experience with the new elevator hasn’t been that great,” said Etonde Awaah, CC ’11. “It has broken multiple times, and once I was stuck in it for 15 minutes with three other people when it broke. I don’t really trust it because it has broken at least four times since we moved in.”
In addition, the Intercultural Resource Center brownstone was converted into a student residence.
“While I feel bad that the old tenants had to leave in order for the IRC to be expanded, the old brownstone has been connected to the newly acquired one to build a larger community than there was before,” Annie Tan, CC ’11 and IRC resident said. “Where only 13 students could be housed before, now 30 students live here, so we have more resources for our work for the community.”
Housing says it’s not done yet. After evaluating student response and the cost and labor, the division is considering extending the wireless coverage to other residence halls besides Broadway, eliminating the need for snaking Ethernet cords. The list of upcoming projects includes the reconfiguration of apartments in Woodbridge—specifically, moving around the bathroom so the singles are no longer walk-through and enlarging the open living spaces. Floors of East Campus that have not been renovated due to time constraints are also on the agenda.
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