To create living space for 733 members of the class of 2019, Facilities Management permitted more seniors to live off-campus, converted lounge areas into bedrooms and renovated residential halls.

“The number of seniors permitted to live off campus was increased, thus freeing up some rooms on campus,” Kristen Kostecky, director of Facilities Management explained. “Additionally, some faculty [and] staff apartments were reprogrammed for student accommodation.”

This change, however, still did not provide enough space for all the new first-year students in residential halls.

Kostecky added that several residence halls had lounge space that was converted into bedroom space. Adams, Buchanan, Conway, Cooper, Davidson-Wilson, Drayer and Longsdorff all had to give up some of their lounge space to make room for new bedrooms. “A total of 35 beds were created,” Kostecky said.

Jessica De Rocco ’19, a current Longsdorff resident, reported the disadvantages of her living situation.

“The entire room is humid all the time,” she said. “One time, my feet were wet after a shower, and because the room was so humid, they didn’t dry the whole night.”

However, the facilities department has renovated several residential halls in the last five years. “K[isner]-W[oodward] and the High Street Apartments were renovated this summer,” Kostecky said. “In KW, the lounge was updated and a new kitchen was created on the ground floor. Bathrooms were also renovated. The dorms [were] also painted and the rooms were carpeted.”

The college housing on High Street is now a prime destination for upperclassmen. In order to encourage seniors to live off campus, Kostecky had to make the apartments seem more desirable.

The apartments “had some of their kitchens and bathrooms updated, new windows were installed and some safety modifications were…made,” Kostecky said.

Kostecky and the facilities department found enough space on campus for everyone who needed a dorm. Conway and Buchanan, typically sophomore halls, now contain mainly first-year students, although some sophomores still live in the suites.

Despite all the changes, “a bigger class helps to create a more vibrant, energetic environment,” Kostecky added optimistically.

Kelly O’Connor ’19, De Rocco’s roommate, reported that, despite the difficulty of finding adequate living space for everyone, her room was just what she expected.

“The Dickinson College website had a lot of information on my specific room,” she said. “Before coming, I could check the dimensions and the furniture online so I knew what to bring [and] expect.”