Photo by Avery Lewis
This year Mercer University welcomed its largest freshman class ever, totaling over 700 students. Many upperclassmen had to be relocated in order to accommodate the new students, while still maintaining housing for upperclassmen. The dorms for freshmen are also older, and are beginning to show their age.
Students
are required to live on campus their first three years at Mercer. Students are
not allowed to live off campus until they are 21. This means that many times
seniors that had planned on living on campus their final year, couldn't.
Avery
Lewis, a junior, said, “We had a really big freshman class this year, and as a
result a lot of the juniors and seniors didn't find out about their housing
assignment until a couple of day before the semester started. A lot of them got
told that they didn't have room for them in housing, and they had to find
somewhere else to live off campus.”
Mercer is
currently building new lofts on College Street, but these are going to be
reserved for upperclassmen, and it does not change the current state of
freshman housing.
“Housing
definitely needs to be updated, especially Plunkett,” said freshman Colin
Sharpe. “But even if there were just more housing, more variety, it would be
better.”
The nicer
housing is reserved for upperclassmen, but the divide between upperclassman and
freshman housing is staggering. “I’ve been in Sherwood, and it’s really nice,”
Sharpe said. “The lounge is great. The rooms are great.” It is evident where
the work has been done on campus.
“Freshman
dorms are a little under par,” said Kyleigh Hucaluk, a freshman woman at
Mercer. “We have a hole in the ceiling above our shower covered by a piece of
plywood on Dowell second [floor].”
Living on
campus is a great thing though, especially for freshmen. While there are
problems with the housing situation, most people enjoy it. Alex Lucas, a
freshman, said “I’m pretty happy with housing.” And this sentiment is shared by
many others.
Living on campus gives access to
events on campus more easily and helps with the adjustment to living alone. By
moving into dorm life, there is a bridge in the gap between living with
parents, and going out into the world.
Dean Doug Pearson, dean of
students, said, “If trends and growth continue, we will probably need to look
into more housing. As the dean of students, it feels great, the idea of more
students living on campus.”
Although it may be inconvenient at
times, most students like the set-up. Even the boys in Plunkett love it, though
the building is not up to the best standards.
“Plunk City is great, smell and all,” said Sharpe.
Mercer is already in the process of
creating more housing, and as growth continues, so will the effort to build
even more.