 By John Bonus, Transcript Reporter
Ohio Wesleyanâs plans to renovate Bashford Hall this year have been canceled, despite students not mov- ing into the facility this semester.
Bashford was previously scheduled to be demolished this year and replaced with a new residence facility mainly for first-year students, which is why the hall is empty.
The project is not happening this year because the school doesnât currently possess the funds for renova- tion of residence halls, said President Rock Jones.
Decisions have not been made in regard to students moving into the hall in the near future and this will likely be the case until administration knows exactly how many students will be coming to campus next year.
Jones said one possible scenario in the long-term future would be to replace both Bashford and Thomson with complex housing for all first-year students. However, no source of funds have been identified for this kind of project.
While the project for Bashford may be dead, Jones said, there are still plans to improve student living situations.
âWe will be making small improvements that I am confident students will appreciate as we seek to in- crease the quality of life in our residence halls,â Jones said.
One of these improvements will be the installation of new lounge furniture in some of the residence halls by the spring semester. The furniture will be placed in Smith and Welch.
The addition of new furniture was recently approved by the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA).
Nick Melvin, a class of 2019 representative for WCSA, said the council decided the new furniture was a good use of its resources for improving residential life.
âWCSA passed the bill for new furniture to make more comfortable living situations for students that will hopefully contribute to a better community overall,â Melvin said.