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Residents hope for updated housing

Residents of Family Housing can attest to the dilapidated feel of their apartments, which rest on the corner of West Neal and Jackson Street.

It is not unusual to find a family sharing a living space that consists of one and a half bedrooms, a living room, small bathroom, and a kitchen with standing room only.

Dennis Koch, director of Residential of Living and Learning knows Family Housing was intended for families went it was first constructed, however, they are believed to have been built in the mid-70’s. Some of the residents have complaints about the housing situation.

Donald Patrick Yeck, a 36-year-old radio/TV major, lives with his two sons in Family Housing. He noted that adequate living, something a little more up-to-date, would be preferable to the small space offered.

“These places are horrible. They’re full of mice, roaches, and nastiness. It’s hard enough being a single parent,” Yeck said.

The response to the mice infestation that Hunt County faces as a whole, has been to double the presence of an extermination company on campus. Residential Living and Learning hopes to alleviate the problem, and residents can request sticky traps from their hall director to attack the problem first-hand.

According to the Housing Master Plan, last updated in October 2008, “the third component of the Master Plan is to strategically locate housing to create a critical mass of students in appropriate locations in order to generate activity and a sense of community.”

This means students will be in closer proximity to each other, giving them a chance to act as good neighbors in a community where they interact with each other. Koch feels the way housing is set up now, people dash to their cars and often do not socialize with their surrounding peers.

The university is currently looking to address housing issues across the board in an attempt to provide all students with an equal level of quality service, safety, and accommodations.

“This is why a master plan was commissioned, to answer the big picture of residence life here at A&M Commerce,” Koch said. “Creating an environment that will allow students to have an experience that will enhance and complete their educational goals is our priority here at the university.”

Consultants for the plan indicated moving Family Apartments across the highway would provide more options for parents who could be in close proximity to the Children’s Learning Center, Children’s Museum, and parks in a less-traveled, safer place on campus.

The architects recommend that the university start this summer on an extensive five to six-year plan that proposes Family Housing move to where Berry Hall is currently situated.

What is now West Halls would be rebuilt to become sorority and fraternity housing as well as a walking area and park, and what is now Family Housing would become a parking lot.

Some hope that a new facility would make everyone feel better about the place they call home.

“I would hope that more space would be afforded to the families as well as the design of the apartments to accommodate the non-traditional family,” Director of A&M-Commerce Children’s Learning Center, Lisa Rhoades said.

The strategic enrollment taskforce’s recommendations will be used as the foundation for planning for future residence halls. There are many students who are unaware that Family Housing even exists, and often this part of Residential Living and Learning goes unnoticed.

“I believe family apartments may not receive as much attention because mostnon-traditional students are not actively involved in campus life and tend to focus on their families and work obligations,” Dr. Mary Hendrix, vice president of student access and success said.

Although the general attitude is that they make the best of it, some of the residents in Family Housing are hoping for a faster response to work orders.

“The biggest issue is the problem with getting maintenance done,” graduate education major, Dottie McIntyre, said.

McIntyre also feels that preventative maintenance is not up to par with those of a commercial apartment’s janitorial service. McIntyre argued that the residents should be appreciated as customers; however, there are four full-time and two part-time workers that are committed to solely working on housing issues.

“Housing doesn’t have to wait for the campus,” Mark Giossi, assistant director of the Facilities Plant said. “In general, we address safety issues first, whether that could be something that’s going to cut somebody or something that’s sparking. Second, would be what I call comfort issues, like if the hot water doesn’t work. Third, would be aesthetics.”

It is not unusual to notice fire trucks responding to fire alarms that originated in Family Housing. These alarms result both from cooking on dirty surfaces, and the proximity of smoke detectors to the kitchen in the residences. Residential Living and Learning will be investigating ways to address this concern by looking at the type of smoke detectors and their location.

Residential Living and Learning has been in the process of renovating kitchens, replacing stoves and kitchen units since last year. Koch recommends that residents address maintenance issues to their resident assistant (R.A.) or hall director, and they in turn will put in a work order.

Residents with children do seem to enjoy the close proximity of a playground to their apartments. Although the playground is located next to a busy street on campus, the children must be supervised by a parent at all times and a small fence separates the two.

“Comments I have received are that parents are very happy to have the playground,” Koch said. “There is a grill and picnic tables, which makes a great family hangout.”

Koch, who has worked at six universities, says A&M-Commerce is rare in that it even offers Family Housing. The fact that the university has the opportunity to do away with Family Housing, but is making it a priority, shows that this area of residence life is important.

Questions regarding the Housing Master Plan are currently being directed to Dr. Hendrix.

Residential Living and Learning Hall Director for Family Apartments, Kathy McGrath, declined to comment on the future plans.