East Hall Renovations

NMC announced plans on March 23 to renovate East Hall.

The dormitory, mainly reserved for incoming students not over 21 or those who have not completed 24 college credits, has been more or less the same since its construction in the 1950’s.

Students that have lived in East Hall have long noticed that the hall usually has some type of problem. Whether it’s bursting pipes, lack of air conditioning, or mold growths, something always seems to be wrong with East Hall.

With the construction of North Hall, Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center, and the new geothermal power system, NMC has taken on quite a few construction projects lately in an effort to modernize the campus, and students successfully campaigned for one of the college’s oldest buildings to join in.

The renovations are rumored to come with a revamped piping system which will increase water pressure, air conditioning with controls for every suite, an elevator, better mattresses, 32-inch televisions for every suite, and an enclosed walkway that will extend to the entrance of the Innovation Center to protect students from the harsh winter winds.

Students seem skeptical but there is a feeling of underlying hope. One student said, “Those old mattresses were so uncomfortable, I already have the pain of carrying all this stress from my classes and you’re going to make me sleep on a rock too?” Another said, “That sounds nice, but I still can’t cook anything. What am I supposed to do after the cafeteria closes? Go sit in the line at Taco Bell for 45 minutes?” A third student added, “The piping system is definitely a need, but why aren’t they adding more parking spaces? So many of my friends have gotten parking tickets or had to walk to a different lot to get to their car.”

While it is noticeable that students have other complaints, employees are confident that the students will come to enjoy the changes. “There are still some things that we have to hammer out obviously, but I have a feeling that less students are going to transition to North Hall than we have seen since its construction. I heard the Residence Hall Manager over at North Hall is terrible.” North Hall residence manager CJ Schneider declined to comment.

Students that have made the transition claim that these renovations are needed and that the college should not be patting themselves on the back. One North Hall resident said, “The improvement for the quality of life of students is necessary. The conditions that I dealt with at East Hall were borderline unbearable. The renovations are a step in the right direction but there are still things that should be done. And our Residence Hall Manager is better at NCAA 14 than East Hall’s. Not to mention our events are 10 times cooler.”

There are rumors that there could be more of an expansion in the coming years, notably the addition of small ovens into suites and the inclusion of an indoor pool. The claims are unsubstantiated, but NMC President Nick Nissley has been seen testing easy bake ovens in his office.

It is undetermined how long the renovations will take to complete, but the expected end date is summer 2024.