By: Ben Miller and Nicole Barhorst
Residents of the Modern Foreign Language House (MFL) and the Sexuality and Gender Equality House (SAGE) are preparing for the possibility that their houses will be razed over the summer.
This is the newest in a series of changes to the small living units (SLUs). While the House of Thought (HoT) house has been scheduled for demolition for some time, MFL and SAGE were not set to be replaced by a SLUplex until a later date.
Residential Life (ResLife) coordinator Levi Harrel said MFL and SAGE may be razed earlier than anticipated because of a forthcoming donation, though nothing is final.
“There is a possibility of a donation being made, and if that donation does present itself, then for the sake of efficiency building two SLUplexes at once would be the most ideal thing to do,” he said.
There will be four SLUplexes built on Rowland Avenue, and each will contain two SLUs divided by a wall, Harrel said. The two SLUplexes in the middle will be mirror images of each other and look more like traditional duplexes. The SLUplexes on the ends will also mirror one another..
Harrel said that though each SLUplex will have a mirror image, the windows, porches, siding and other features will be different.
“For architectural purposes they might look similar, but I think students will absolutely see them individually,” he said.
The MFL and SAGE furniture will be stored by the university at no cost to the residents, Harrel said.
Senior Lauren Rump, a SAGE resident, said ResLife met with MFL and SAGE residents to discuss the possibility of the construction this summer. Though some members of the SLU community are upset about all these changes, she said she is excited about the new houses.
“Although I love the charm and history of my house, I have not enjoyed having to deal with fleas, skunks under porches and things falling apart,” she said.
The displaced SLU residents will most likely be placed elsewhere on campus, and ResLife is working on determining where that will be. The housing selection process for rising sophomores, juniors and seniors has already occurred, which complicates the matter.
“I am mostly sad for seniors who now have less options for next year if the houses get torn down,” said Rump. “Because housing rounds are finishing up and senior housing has already been filled, seniors who might have had a single in their respective SLU and the joy of living in a house their senior year might have a living situation they find less than ideal for their senior year.”
Junior Elizabeth Raphael, a MFL resident, said she had hope for the future of the SLUs.
“I think the SLU community is a very strong one, and I would like to see that continue,” said Raphael.