Woodcrest Hall went under renovations last spring in wake of a flood in the building. The project was completed in time to welcome new students for this coming school year.
“It’s really nice here. It’s good to have a new space that no one has lived in before,” Bailey Janowski, a freshman Woodcrest Hall resident, said.
Friday August 26th was the official move in day for freshman into Xavier, East and the newly renovated Woodcrest Hall. Not only is Woodcrest decked with new flooring and new ceilings, but also some upgrades were added during the renovation, such as air conditioning.
Woodcrest was the last dorm building on campus to receive air conditioning. Now, students can control their own room temperature using the thermostat on the newly installed AC units.
Luta Lipman, a freshman living in Woodcrest Hall said, “all the new features are pretty nice, the best part is being able to control our own air.”
The Residential Life office has also been moved to the new and improved Woodcrest Hall after being located on the bottom floor of Founders Hall in prior years. Moving the Resident Life office to Woodcrest Hall makes it easy for freshman to go and voice their concerns and get any questions answered about campus living.
The Assistant Director of Res Life, Akirah Massenburg, said,“I think our location is great. We have a lot of interaction with the students, especially with the students that live in Woodcrest. They feel comfortable coming down and asking us questions about meal plans, concerns that they have in their rooms, and I just think that it’s great to be in the same area as the residential halls.”
Finding space for any offices, or even students this fall has been a challenge for administrators. Dean of Students Dr. George Stroud stated that dorm occupancy during the first week of the semester was 101 %.
Massenburg said that she and the Resident life office had to get creative when placing the Class of 2020 due to the number of students who requested housing.
Woodcrest has been a home to thousands of students since it’s opening in 1969 and will continue to house students for many generations to come. Past students have considered Woodcrest a home away from home.
Annie Gorski, a sophomore Cabrini student residing in Dixon House, recalls what it was like living in Woodcrest her freshman year, “I definitely think that living in Woodcrest in the past brought everyone together because we were all going through the same thing. The heat, no air conditioning, the bathrooms, everything, it’s what made us a ‘Woodcrest family.'”
Transitioning into college can be a difficult experience for many but Woodcrest was a bonding experience for many first year students.
“I loved Woodcrest because of its run-down and ‘homey’ atmosphere. I loved how it was the oldest dorm building and how the carpet was smelly most of the time. It gave us all something to laugh about. It brought my floor together,” Gorski said.
When asked how the transition into living on campus was, Gia Martino, a freshman said, “It’s a big adjustment but it’s a fun adjustment and you get to experience new things and meet new people.”
The Class of 2020 living in Woodcrest now gets to bond over the luxuries it has to offer.
