Renovation or Bust!
By Allie Krumel

This may already be clear, but I’m going to state the obvious; Xavier-Loyola hall is in desperate need of renovation. Coming from a Resident Assistant who makes every effort to be positive about residence life and residence halls, I can honestly say that the conditions in XL are nothing short of appalling.

Sure, there are many good things about XL; I like to describe Xavier-Loyola Hall as a decrepit old man who everyone loves, but who also disgusts everyone to a certain extent. However, despite the crappiness of the building, there is a definite atmosphere of community in XL. XL is a place with a friendly, laid-back attitude where people are always visiting their friends on other floors, hanging out in their rooms with their doors open, playing ping-pong till all hours of the night, and ordering late-night Chinese or pizza in the lobby while cuddled up watching a movie. Overall XL is a very pleasant place to live, but this is mostly due to the people who live there and the friendships they’ve built with other residents.

The only thing that needs to be done to improve XL is to renovate it. As much as I enjoy the asbestos in the ceiling, wood paneling and décor a la 1970s, and occasional creepy-crawler in the basement, some updates would do so much to help residents feel more at home. The conditions make it clear that it has been decades since XL was renovated, and students deserve a comfortable, clean residence hall for what they’re paying. If Rockhurst administrators would move XL up on the to-do list, students would be more likely to live in residence halls longer, and would be much happier with their home away from home. As a person who genuinely enjoys living in Xavier-Loyola Hall, I must say that I truly wish Rockhurst would take care of it and take care of its students by renovating this ancient residence hall.