In spite of problems and “new building quirks,” a ribbon cutting for the Hampton Roads dormitory went off to the sound of a brass band and the acclaim of George Mason University President Alan Merten on Thursday.
The dorms are “another success for [Mason],” said Merten. “We have created another village on campus.”
Students and faculty walked through a soft drizzle to The Pilot House, where ceremonies were held and an enormous cake shaped like the new dormitory was sliced and mobbed by a student body eager for fake trees and roofs made from hard icing.
Some students reported a few problems with the dormitory.
“The elevator breaks down a lot,” said sophomore undeclared major Andrew McLarty. “Other than that, it’s pretty cool.”
“The water in the shower used to be freezing,” said junior economics major Robert Kramer. “The shower handle would not go up all the way. When I turn it up, though, the water often becomes scalding.”
Residence assistants said they could not comment on the building’s technical troubles, but two other residents complained about the water temperatures.
“It’s just a new building,” said Bradley Menard, assistant director of the Office of Housing & Residence Life. “It’s common for any new building on campus to have its problems. The main issue was water filtration.”
But neither rain nor building quirks put a damper on Thursday’s festivities, which featured platters of spare ribs, pizza and fried green beans.
McLarty called the new building “pretty cool” and sophomore nursing major Melanie Keagy, a resident, was also enthused. “It’s so much better than Presidents Park.”
“This is a great opportunity to build a community,” said Associate Residence Life Director Hollie Chessman. “The study lounges in the building are great.”
Students were in good spirits over their new space, but McLarty pointed out one other design flaw for the ribbon cutting: “What I don’t get is why the cake only has four stories when the building is actually seven.”
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