Kelvin WortheyN.C. Central University senior Jalen Harris has had a rough first month of school since the two new dorms being built this year were delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harris started off the semester being reassigned to Baynes Hall, then he moved to Annie Day Residence Hall as he waited for the dorms to open up.
Now he said he will have to move again once his spot in Alston Avenue Apartments opens up Harris said.
Harris is one of the many students who face this problem.
NCCU’s Department of Residential Life planned on having the two new dorms, Alston Avenue Apartment and George Street Student Apartment available for students to move into this fall.
Alston Avenue Apartments is located beside New Residence Hall II and Chidley Hall set up in a suite-style with four bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a personal washer and dryer. George Street Apartments are located beside Baynes Hall and will have the same features as Alston Avenue Apartments.
During the summer as the Fall 2020 semester drew closer, the university released a statement saying that the dorms may not be finished on time because of COVID-19.
The students could choose from other dorms such as Baynes, Eagle Landing, or they could wait and reside in one of these dorms until after they were finished.
This delay has left Harris and many other students to have to figure out what they wanted to do for their housing on campus this semester.
Some students had to decide if they wanted to move into a dorm that was not as nice as the two newer dorms while trying to prepare for the unprecedented semester.
“It was tough because I have certain mental health issues so I honestly can’t live in certain dorms. I didn’t find out it wasn’t going to be ready until a week before classes, so I had to beg to be put into a dorm that would be accommodating,” Harris said. “And this will make three times that I had to move.”
The same issue can be seen in the case of junior Devin Hampton.
Hampton was assigned to move into George Street Apartments at the beginning of the Fall semester.
With the dorm not being finished, it required him to have to settle in Baynes Hall temporarily until the George Street Apartments were finished, Hampton said.
Baynes Hall is a freshman dorm that has community bathrooms and only has double rooms. This is way different from George Street, where students can get their own room and only share a bathroom with three other people, Hampton said.
“It’s an inconvenience because now I have to worry about moving all my stuff with their helpers who have some limitations,” Hampton said.
Residential life has assigned people to help students who were inconvenienced, move their stuff into their new room but they will only make one trip with the students.
This leaves the students having to figure out how to move everything in one trip, Hampton said.
Residential Life could not be reached for comment about housing on campus this semester.
Even though some students were unhappy with their room assignment, not every student saw it as an inconvenience.
NCCU sophomore Brant Barber said that he is perfectly fine with the reassignment that he was given.
“At first I thought it would inconvenience me,” Barber said. “But I ended up in Eagle Landing, which I’ll probably decide to stay in until I graduate.”
