BC On-Campus Living
Residence life and dorm accommodations have been a hot topic at Bluefield College for a while now. Students are often discussing needed improvements and the pros and cons of residence facilities.
Many students choose on-campus housing while attending BC for a variety of reasons, including the fact that it gives them a place to stay and a meal plan all included in tuition, room and board. Some students enjoy the experience of living on campus, while others do not. Residential students recently shared with The Rampage their insights on campus housing.
The most recent improvements to campus housing, they say, took place in the lobby of Rish Hall. The lobby was renovated and is now more custom-fit for college males to enjoy in their downtime. Its highlights include two televisions, including a large one hanging on the main room wall and one in a smaller room of the lobby. The lobby has carpet covering all three room spaces with nice furniture and recliner massage chairs for relaxation. Rish residents say this is the most popular upside to living there.
The downside to living in Rish, they say, is the fact that the heating is too aggressive. Many tell stories of waking up drenched in sweat and not having air conditioning. Rish residents also say the dorm rooms are much older and have damaged areas inside, including the bathrooms. The dorm rooms come with bedding and a refrigerator, along with a desk and closet. They do not contain carpet.
“The beds are uncomfortable, and we need more space,” Rish resident Souleymane Sakho said. “It would also be nice to have a stove to cook in and on rather than just a microwave. There isn’t any air conditioning here and the refrigerator is too small to contain any regular amount of frozen groceries that you would need to keep in it.”
Cruise Hall is a second male residence hall available on campus. It is a little more popular considering some rooms are much larger than those in Rish Hall, and outside Cruise is a basketball court. The rooms in Cruise come with the same furniture as those in Rish, and they also do not contain carpet. The bathrooms in Cruise, students say, are worse than those in Rish Hall as they are damaged badly. The lobby in Cruise is a bit more dated with an older model large screen TV. A Campus Security office is also located in Cruise.
“I really enjoy the amount of space you have, if you don’t have a roommate,” Cruise resident Billy Whitson said, “but the downside to it is the condition that the room is in. The floors and bathrooms need a lot of work and there is no air conditioning for the warm days.”
East River Hall is a female dorm, which is one of the newer residence halls on campus and was recently renovated as well. It has three floors with a lobby on each floor accompanied by an elevator that takes each resident to his or her given floor. East River’s lobby floor along with its room floors are carpeted. The lounge areas have nice furniture and a sink area where snacks are provided for residents from time to time. The individual rooms have much better infrastructure. They come with nice furniture and bedding along with nice bathrooms, as well.
“Living in the girls’ dorm is overall good,” East River resident Allison Milligan said. “We have big closets and dressers, along with heating and air-conditioning. The only downside to this living lifestyle is that the view from our room windows is unappealing, and the beds that we sleep on are extremely uncomfortable.”
Bluestone Commons is a student apartment complex and is the newest residence facility on campus. It has a nice environment and infrastructure as an apartment style of living. The apartments have carpet and include a kitchen, laundry room, and a shared bathroom. They have multiple living spaces in each unit, and they are provided with furniture. The only problem, students say, is the security and the maintenance. Some students feel as if security invades the student’s space too often and that maintenance could fix the housing problems that occur sooner than they do.
“I would say it’s in better shape than any other housing on campus,” Bluestone resident Tianna Crockett said, “but the only improvement that would be nice is maintenance. They take too long to fix problems when you request it sometimes.”
Alumni Hall is the oldest residence facility on campus located just above the Dome Gymnasium. Its interior is not terrible but can be easily spotted as an older model. Campus security entering personal space was mentioned as another issue with Alumni Hall. The rooms contain the same as other dorm rooms, including desks, beds and carpet. The main complaint with Alumni Hall is with the infrastructure in some rooms and the water being too cold.
“There is mold in the rooms, and the water does not get warm enough to shower or to use, in general, sometimes,” said Alumni Hall resident Bobby McBride. “The campus security does invade your personal privacy and space and make you feel uncomfortable sometimes.”