One of the most comforting aspects of the residence halls, the kitchens, are soon to experience some major renovations as they will be relocated within the residence halls and replaced with apartments for the hall directors.

The statuses of renovation between Goen and Frazer are currently at different levels of completion, as Goen has already moved their kitchen from its previous location. Frazer’s kitchen remains boarded up with no replacement in sight for the immediate future.

Frazer’s kitchen disappeared overnight for senior Stephen Overson, co-president of Ima Baka Pie, the student-led cooking club. Overson said, “After making a trip to Walmart and buying a few things a few weeks ago, I was disappointed to find out that our’s was unavailable and the new one had not even been started on; I used Goen’s.”

Mr. Hansel Jackson, hall director of Frazer, recognized the problem, but added context, stating, “I apologize for the inconvenience, but a kitchen is in the works. We are making changes around here trying to modernize the residence halls, we just have to go in order.” In the next instance of renovation, he intends for there to be more communication between students and faculty.

Ms. LaToya Bledsoe, hall director of Goen, stated that Frazer students can use the Goen kitchen but she urges students to ask in advance so a member of Goen staff can be present to lend supervision. She would also like to remind students that the hall directors are not the only ones receiving an upgrade in this situation as some of the appliances in the new kitchens will be brand new.

The transformations of the kitchens into apartments for the hall directors are a welcome sight to Bledsoe and Jackson, who will finally be given a living quarters with access to cooking facilities. “This is our home away from home, to have an apartment with a kitchen is a great incentive for the job”, said Jackson.

Bledsoe, who has been living in Goen for eleven years, is excited to see an upgrade in living quarters, but she is afraid of one aspect of moving to first floor. “The only thing I’m scared of is bugs.”

In the end, renovations to the kitchens in both Goen and Frazer will lead to happier students and happier hall directors because, after all, “we live here just like you guys live here, we want everyone to be as comfortable as possible,” said Jackson.