Loughlen Hall
Elizabeth Kamrowski/The Bona Venture
BY: GENEVIEVE BLUMBERG, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Residence Life converts freshmen dorms into triples, accommodating one of the largest incoming classes in 20 years.
The Loughlen Hall lounges were converted into triples to accommodate the large incoming freshmen class, according to Tom Missel, chief communications officer. Beds are situated against either far wall and one in the middle of the room. Doyle Hall also underwent construction to include new triples.
Kagan McCallum, a freshman broadcast journalism major requested a room change and moved in late to one of the converted triples. This placed him in a bed at the center of their room, the first thing they see when they walk in.
“[My roommates] can get away with being a tad more messy,” said McCallum. “When I get messy, you see it a lot more.”
Despite the fact that he has two roommates, McCallum feels he has enough space.
“The room size accommodates three people very well,” said McCallum. “I could feel how rooms [in other freshman dorms] could be really stuffed. College life has never been better since moving in.”
Students in Loughlen triples expressed satisfaction with the sizes of their dorms.
“I think we have a lot of space considering there’s three people and three people’s stuff in here,” said Sarah Lyman, a freshman early childhood and childhood education major.
The trio, including Lyman, expressed great satisfaction with the results of the rooming survey they filled out prior to being assigned together. They share similar hobbies and said they have a lot in common.
“I feel like we’re the same person times three,” said Lyman.
Some students experienced more challenges.
“It was hard to share a space with three people and have your own alone time and do your own homework in the room when other people were there,” said Courtney Westfall, a triple certification education major.
After one roommate moved out, Westfall and her roommate now benefit from the spacious room.
Random roommate assignments kept students in triples guessing until move-in day.
“It was pretty stressful,” said Thomas Zaklukiewicz, a freshman sports media major, when discussing the prospect of being placed with two randomly assigned roommates.
Space-efficient solutions, such as ladders for lofted beds, cause unique problems for students in these triples.
“You feel like you’re falling down the ladder,” said Westfall.
Westfall has the single bed, rather than the bunk bed, in her Doyle triple.
The bed is high off the ground, which makes space for her belongings underneath, but she has to climb a ladder to get on her bed. While she said she would prefer not to climb a moving ladder, the height of the bed is necessary to maintain the organization of the room.
The former lounge area is located directly across from the Loughlen restroom. For the students currently in the converted triple, they hear the ins and outs of people using the restroom during all hours.
“It’s annoying when it is 11 o’clock at night and you hear the bang of the door all the time,” said Betrus. “You get used to it when you hear it a lot.”
Ursula Herz, director of Residence Life, was not available to comment at time of publishing.
blumbegc24@bonaventure.edu
