New Hamp renovation nears end
The renovation of New Hampshire residence hall is largely complete except for a few minor projects, according to Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman.
By Andrew Wells, The Dartmouth Staff
Published on Friday, April 10, 2009
The renovation of New Hampshire residence hall is mostly complete except for a few minor projects, according to Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman. Reaction from students who moved back into the building at the beginning of the term has been largely positive. ORL will soon hold small student discussion groups to get feedback on the building, Redman said.
"They did a great job of moving us in and finishing construction on time," Mark Heller '10 said. "When I lived in McLane [residence hall] freshman year, they were still working on the building until November."
The majority of the incomplete renovations are exterior projects that have been delayed because of the weather and should begin soon, Redman said, adding that the work should not be a disruption for residents. The projects include landscaping and the completion of a retaining wall at the back of the building, Redman said.
Residents have complained that the building lacks a vending machine, which Redman said ORL is in the process of ordering. Many students have also inquired about the non-functioning computer monitors in each hallway. Redman said the monitors are part of the Green Lite sustainability project, which aims to make students aware of how much energy they consume and how they conserve energy in their daily lives. The monitors will display the amount of energy being used on each floor.
"We don't have an official date on when the monitors will be up and running," Redman said. "We are just waiting on some equipment. I believe it is slightly behind schedule, but it should be up soon."
New Hamp residents said they have yet to receive an official e-mail from the College regarding the purpose of the monitors.
"There are only rumors about the computer screens," Clark Warthen '10 said. "I assume it is another tremendous waste of College money, like the T.V.'s in Food Court."
Redman said he hopes the project will encourage students to reduce their overall electrical use and eventually save the College money.
With the high volume of juniors returning to campus from leave terms this spring, ORL filled New Hamp primarily with members of the Class of 2010.
"I like that it is basically a building of [juniors]," Warthen said. "After the winter exodus, it seems like everyone moved into New Hamp."
New Hamp's interior design is similar to that of the Fahey-McLane residence cluster, but the College improved on the cluster's ambiance and color scheme, Heller said.
"They made some improvements in terms of making it more warm and homey by using pastel colors in the hallways," Heller said. "It still has a feeling of sterility, but not quite as much like living in a quarantine area."
Warthen said he is pleased with the renovations, although he added that he was disappointed the College assigned him to a one-room double.
"It's got all of the amenities of a new dorm with the character of an old one," Warthen said.
Zoe Shtasel-Gottlieb '10 expressed a similar sentiment, commenting that she preferred the social atmosphere of New Hamp to that of McLaughlin residence cluster.
"It also feels more communal than the McLaughlin cluster because there are a lot of common areas and it is not so spread out," Shtasel-Gottlieb said. "People are always socializing and connecting, while in McLaughlin you always had to go into someone's room to find them."