Students Living In Curtis Hall Forced To Relocate

Students living in Curtis Hall were relocated recently in a move that university officials say was postponed due to the hurricane. 

The affected students were moved to Bronson Hall and the Living Learning Center (LLC). 

Janice Mercier Wade, associate dean of housing and residence, said Curtis, one of the oldest dormitories on campus, was meant to be a temporary place for students that had been wait-listed for housing.

Wade said plans had been to relocate the students before Hurricane Irma hit the area in September and forced the school to close down for about two weeks.

"It was never a permanent living space," she said.

The building, one of two mentioned last year by the previous administration as the potential site for a future student center, apparently was being used this year to provide temporary shelter for about a dozen or so students.

It is not known whether the current administration plans to go forward with plans for the student center.

Curtis Hall was constructed in 1922 to house 109 female students. The residence hall was named after Flora Curtis, a wealthy philanthropist who used to visit the area during the winter. It was known to be "the place to be" in more recently years, but today it stands vacant. 

Leslie Jones, senior music major, was among those affected by the recent move. "I would honestly have to say that living in Curtis Hall was a different experience," Jones said. 

"After not having a place to stay for a week and then being blessed to have my own room with a close access to the music building and cafe was great. I just wish that we wouldn't have had to go through the inconvenience of moving in the middle of the semester and then having to move into a freshman dorm." 

Jones also said she wished she had been told that the situation was temporary.

"I can understand that housing and student affairs (housing officials) were doing their best with trying to find housing," she said. 

"But if the offices didn't have the ability to accommodate with the proper housing for upperclassmen, then I would've respected the situation more if I was told up front that they wouldn't be able to find decent housing permanently earlier than half the semester in. But, above all I'm thankful for what I have now and my roommate turned out to be a pretty cool freshman." Jaclyn Bray, a graduating senior, said the move was a big inconvenience. " I loved having my own space so moving in a room with someone else was a big change," Bray said.

By Shaquasia Foster