Illustration by Sofia Reeves
n the 2019 master plan, Lewis & Clark revealed the intention to demolish Stewart, Odell and Akin Halls (SOA), in order to shape the area around Templeton Campus Center into “the heart of campus” with new dorms and a renovated Templeton. However, recent budget concerns have suggested that a remodel may be more feasible. In order to save money while also preserving the oldest dorms on campus, LC should focus on remodeling SOA.
I have now lived in Odell for about three semesters. The hall is cozy and endearing in many ways, with some of the biggest double rooms on campus and spacious bathrooms. It is much quieter than Copeland, conveniently located right next to Templeton and the closets have given me and my roommate an opportunity for privacy that the majority of college dorms do not allow.
However, SOA rooms can be pretty grubby, to say the least. No dorm is perfect, and I am sure many dorms have their own unique issues, but SOA’s heaters that make horrendous clanking noises, windows that can be pulled open from the outside and walls that posters do not stick to are not ideal when it comes to a living space that I am paying thousands of dollars for.
At Oregon State University and the University of Oregon, housing rates differ based on the dorm you live in. Older dorms are cheaper, and newer dorms for upperclassmen are more expensive. At LC, housing rates for all double rooms are the same. The quality of living, however, is far from equal. SOA can hardly compare to the clean interior of Holmes or the suite-style bathrooms unique to Hartzfeld. Yet I am paying the same amount of money as residents of those other halls. I could not have known this when choosing what dorm to live in, as all I had to go off of was a single picture and a short description in the housing pamphlet. At the very least, LC could adjust housing rates so that we are paying for the dorm experience we are getting, but a more feasible option is simply renovating SOA to be at the same level as the rest of LC’s residence halls.
Remodeling SOA would allow for the expansion of spaces such as the workout and meditation rooms in Stewart. The Counseling Service and Phonathon offices could be moved out of the Odell basement and given their own facilities, possibly as part of the larger renovations to Templeton. The maze-like halls of Stewart could be simplified, and all three halls could be made compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Overall, cosmetic upgrades from new carpet to updated kitchens and bathrooms would make SOA much more appealing to new students and returning students alike.
To my knowledge, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with SOA other than being old. Thus, they do not need to be demolished. The large rooms and closets set SOA apart from other dorms on campus and create a cozy living space. As the oldest dorms on campus, there is a heart to them that would no longer exist if they were rebuilt. By remodeling, LC can save money, update decades-old facilities and create a more positive on-campus living experience.
This article presents opinions held by the author, not those of The Pioneer Log, its editorial board or those interviewed for background information.
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