Stony Brook University will soon have a new dormitory that students can call home. According to Dallas Baurman, assistant vice president of Campus Residences, the dormitory is slated to open this coming fall, and will be the largest dormitory on campus.
Students are excited for the new orange-and-white and blue-and-white buildings, set in Roosevelt and Kelly Quads respectively. “I am definitely moving into the new building after seeing it in construction for the past two years,” Monique Merchant, a sophomore and psychology major said. “I am so excited to be living there.”
Though the closing of Stony Brook Southampton’s campus had a slight impact on the availability of rooms in the dorm – Southampton students were given preference over some students after the campus closing was announced – Campus Residences said there were still “many opportunities” for current Stony Brook students to live on-campus.
The dorm will have an impact on the freshman tripling rate as well. Campus Residences said the 600 new beds will decrease the tripling rate for new and returning students this fall, and said, “We do anticipate that it will be possible to offer regular accommodations to all tripled residents by the end of the fall semester. “
Jesse Oney, currently a resident assistant in Stimson College in Roosevelt Quad, said, “It’ll be awesome to have brand-new facilities, and I hope that people will be a bit more cautious, careful with living there.”
“People often complain that Stony Brook is old and run-down, but that wear-and-tear comes from the students,” Oney said. Oney will be a resident assistant next academic year in Yang, the Roosevelt side of the dorm.
The design of the dorm is a debate among students. Oney said it reminded her of “an IKEA dorm package…or like LEGOs.”
“I think the new dorm looks amazing and with all the supposed amenities, will be a great addition to the area,” Merchant said. “However, as with almost all the buildings on campus, it doesn’t really match anything and makes the other buildings around it look even worse.”
The dorm will be equipped with a gym, computer lab and air-conditioning. “The fact that it is new is amazing,” Merchant said. “I will never have to leave since everything I need will be in the building, except for my classes of course.”
