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news
Dorm
construction brings controversy
By Alexis Kindig
On-line Forty-Niner
Despite objections
from current residents, work will begin over the summer to
convert the common rooms in Parkside Commons into bedrooms
to accommodate 144 new residents.
The construction was planned in order to alleviate some of
the "overwhelming demand" for on-campus housing,
according to Stan Olin, interim director of Housing and Residential
Life.
Discussions continue on the possibility of building dorms
on the Veterans Administration hospital property next to campus,
but the new bedrooms in Parkside will be ready for new residents
by the fall semester.
The new rooms will be a few inches smaller than the other
bedrooms in Parkside Commons, according to Olin, but will
contain the same basic furniture, and phone and electrical
outlets as the other rooms. Two people will still live in
each room.
Though good for future students, current residents are upset.
President's Scholars, a group whose members live in the dorms,
sent a petition around Parkside Commons saying they were upset
that residents had been given such short notice of the changes.
Erin Davis, a Parkside Commons resident, says the first confirmation
of the planned conversions came when maintenance workers installed
a phone jack in her suite's common room.
Many residents only found out about the plans when they picked
up their housing licenses for next semester. An explanation
of what was happening and a schematic of the suites' new look
was included in the packet.
It wasn't just the short notice that had residents upset,
but the fact that they are losing living space.
"The common room is our place to study, our place to
get away from everyone else in the suite," Davis said.
"We have to share a bathroom between 14 people now instead
of 12. What used to be just fine may not work anymore."
Erin McNally, Davis' roommate, agrees.
"I feel the changes they're making to accommodate the
loss of space do not justify the area we're losing,"
McNally said. "I don't think anybody wants to see this
change, not that I know of."
Olin says a meeting was held in the Housing Office with four
or five resident representatives to discuss the changes, and
that he has answered e-mail queries from parents of residents.
He also attended an Associated Students Inc. meeting to talk
about the construction. He says he feels that residents understand
what is going on, and that they have options.
Olin said the common rooms in Residence Commons will remain
untouched. This way, residents from Parkside who feel the
need for common rooms can move there.
The cost of living in the dorms will remain the same, Olin
said.
The construction will be done by Dalke and Sons, the job delivery
contractors for the school, and regular residence hall maintenance
staff. Construction is expected to cost around $450,000.
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