BY OLIVIA PUPPOLO
Photo Credit: Stonehill College
“Yes, we did it,” the four words said by every high school senior on their graduation day as they fling their caps in the air ready for their newly found independence.
As final goodbyes and new hello’s are said, most college freshmen are not prepared for the change between being a high school Senior to becoming a college freshman. It is a transition that is difficult. It was reported by Hap.org that around 70 percent of freshmen experience severe homesickness.
Besides being hours away from home in unfamiliar surroundings, dorm life is another huge change which college freshmen have most likely never been faced with. From one night being in the comfort of one’s own bed with privacy whenever is wished, to essentially sleeping next to a stranger and sharing a bathroom with thirty new faces.
Throughout these new times of transition, college freshmen turn to decorating their dorm with pictures of family, friends, and pets back at home to relieve themselves with some comfort of familiar beings.
At this new home away from home, Stonehill College has done their best to provide freshmen with newly renovated dorms located in O'Hara to help make leaving home a little easier.
When three sophomores who previously lived in O’Hara came to look at their old dorm in room 239, they were in shock.
“This is so much nicer than what we had last year,” they said.
Now, O’Hara has put in brand new wood flooring into all of the dorms to give them a sleeker, more “homey” look and feeling.
Feeling at home is a key factor for freshmen to properly adjust to the new living situation they will have for next year.
Not only are the wooden floors newly renovated, but so is all the furniture. The wardrobes, desk, and bed frames are all the same color wood; light, clean, and fresh, allowing for the room to have a more uniform look to it.
Making sure one does not overpack is a common worry for freshmen who do not know how much space they will have. However, with the new wardrobes in O’Hara it allows for a spacious area to hang and store clothes with a connected drawer on the bottom, perfect for fitting sweatshirts and sweatpants for the wintertime.
The desks themselves have a lighter look to them as the top shelf cubby that is commonly on dorm room desks has been removed which creates a more open, breathable space within the dorm. Along with the desks, the chairs with them also received an upgrade.
Instead of the wooden chairs, they have been replaced with adjustable chairs with wheels which allows for them to be changed to different positions or sizes.
Removing the carpet and replacing it with wood floors was a major renovation O’Hara underwent. The removal of the carpet not only lightened up the room but allowed for students to express themselves and the design of their room even more by choosing out their own carpet with whatever color and texture they desired.
One major common problem throughout all colleges and dorms is the lighting. The dim lighting which is commonly placed within the dorm is reported to, “reduce the brain’s ability to collect information,” as reported by eatonnarrowsmith.com.
However, now instead of the dim yellow lighting it has been replaced with a bright white light that will ensure “the brain is able to properly focus and gather information,” something all college students need.
With all the new renovations seen in O’Hara Hall, it will allow for Stonehill’s students to grow and flourish as they begin this new transition to an unforgettable time of their lives.
Renovating not only gives faculty and staff hope, but also students. They develop pride in the growth of their college campus and are proud to be a part of change.
Stonehill is not just stopping with those two buildings either, and with all the new and fresh modernization going around campus it just shows that it is just some of what Stonehill hopes to accomplish in the years to come.
Comments