Students say they feel a great sense of community in the old residential halls that couldn’t be found in the plush rooms and facilities of Heritage Commons.
Residential students had to move to the old dorms in January, to give Olympic crews time to transform the dormitories into the athlete’s village in time for the Games.
“I’m impressed. There are more positive comments than I expected and less negative comments than I expected,” residential student Matt Burgemeister said.
The move was much smoother than anticipated. The Office of Residential Living moved 1,100 students to Ballif, Van Cott and Austin Hall.
The old dorms are more community-oriented, with communal lounges, kitchens and washrooms. “Students have to leave their rooms to do ordinary things,” said LaDon Roeder, assistant director of Residential Living.
Heritage Commons is much more private. Students did not have to leave their rooms and, in turn, do not interact with as many students, Roeder said.
In the old dorms, “we aren’t in our rooms as much,” said residential student Sara Burrows. Students gather together to watch television, to study and to eat. Burrows believes this may be due to the condition of the rooms.
Even though the old dorms’ amenities are a definite downsize from Heritage Commons, students still point out specific advantages to living in the old dorms.
“We are closer to campus. There are a fewer number of people on each floor and it is easier to develop friendships,” Burgemeister said. The old dorms are more conducive to a “social atmosphere and it is much easier to talk with people,” he said.
Assistant Resident Director Todd Justesen credits the resident hall advisors for the successful transition. “Resident advisors have made all the difference in the world,” he said.
Some students have liked the move so much that they are not moving back up to Heritage Commons in March. The Office of Residential Living has accommodated their requests, and 100 students will stay in Austin Hall through the end of the semester, said Roeder.
The rest of the students, nearly 1,000, will be moved back up to Heritage Commons in March. The students will go back to their original rooms, with the exception of Sage Point Residents. The Paralympic Games will occupy Sage Point until the end of March.
In the meantime, students “are very excited for the Olympics,” said Justesen. More than 100 residential students are working or volunteering for the Games.
About half of the residential students are staying in the dorms through the break, Roeder said. Those students must have University ID and residential ID with them at all times to conform with security constraints. In addition, all guests at the halls must be registered and escorted by a resident at all times.
“The move was not ideal but I’d do it again,” Burgemeister said.
However, not all residents were as positive. “Overall, I would have rather not moved. I miss my room,” Burrows said.