Students around campus had much to say and displayed concerns about the residential life changes at Grambling State. Effective in fall 2014 there will be no more Freshman Village; it will be known as Tiger Village.
The changes in Tiger Village are: Truth Hall will house freshman females, Holland and Knott will be home to freshman males, Bethune will now house male upperclassmen, Bowen will house female upperclassmen, Attucks will be home for upperclassman males, Douglass will house freshman females, and Pinchback will house upperclassman males.
“Intergrading the students will possibly lower the crime and make the students on campus feel safer,” said James Payne, the director of Residential Life.
Jonathan Jenkins sees possibilities in the moves. “More upperclassmen will have a positive influence on the freshman,” the sophomore said. “It will only work if the upperclassmen mentor the freshmen.”
Many freshmen take pride in their Freshman Village.
Briauna Dinkins said, “Freshman Village made us proud to be a freshman.”
The incoming freshmen – the class of 2018 – might not get the same campus environment and derive as much pride as previous freshmen have.
“The upcoming freshman won’t have the same experiences we had,” Chad Williams said.
Many upperclassmen aren’t pleased about the housing changes either, which prompted some to seek signatures for a petition that seeks to stop the housing changes. The petition talks about how students are comfortable living in their assigned areas, as well as encouraging students to get their voices heard.
Students are urged to be proactive and do housing early. Pre-housing is currently going on, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and 8 a.m. to noon Friday, but only for students residing in Jones, Truth, Tubman, Adams, Holland, Steeples Glen, GSU West Campus, Garner, Hunter, Robinson, Jeans and Jewett.
Pre-housing for students residing in Attucks, Knott, Bethune, Pinchback, Douglass, Wheatley and Bowen will start Monday and continue through March 27. Monday-Thursday hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. to noon on March 28.