Written by Tiffany P Jones
As soon as the last girl leaves Stephens Hall this semester, the electricity will shut off and crews will arrive to give the dorm a long-awaited renovation. Stephens, built in 1968, has not had any major renovations since it opened.
Sheri Shearin, assistant dean of students, said she is very excited about the changes.
“We’re so excited because this residence hall was built in the ‘60s; it’s been around awhile.” said Shearin. “But they’re all amazed at how sturdy it is.”
Resident Life Coordinator Joy Slayton shares Shearin’s excitement, but she has some anxiety about the process. Slayton has been with Harding for 27 years, 13 of them in Stephens.
“Am I a little nervous over it? Yes,” Slayton said. “My mother moved in, she was the dorm manager here, in the mid-‘80s. When she got ready to retire, I had worked for Public Safety for 14 years, and so I applied for her position and I got it. So, we have been in this dorm for a [long time].”
Stephens will be getting an overhaul complete with a handicap-accessible room. Kitchens and laundry appliances will be added to each floor, and the dorm will be moving from a two-pipe system to a four-pipe system that will allow girls to choose between air conditioning and heat. One of the biggest changes is the addition of an elevator.
“I’ve had a few parents that come, and it’s been hard for them to climb the stairs. It’s going to make it easier. I’ve had several sports-related injuries, either intramurals or regular sports,” Slayton said. “It will be nice to not have to find a place on first floor for those girls. They’ll be able to use the elevator.”
After the construction, Stephens will become the primary sophomore dorm and Kendall Hall will take over the freshman overflow.
Ashley Rosenbaum, sophomore and current resident of Stephens, said she is happy about the upcoming changes.
“There are a lot of things that need to be changed about Stephens, and I am glad that the future residents aren’t going to have to endure the same problems we did while living here,” Rosenbaum said.
The building will keep its main layout but will be losing storage rooms.
“When Stephens storage opens back up a year from now, we’re going to have it [storage] in the roof actually, in the attic,” Shearin said. “When they add a pitched roof we’re going to build steps on up to where they can go up to where there’s the roof and the storage rooms.”
As the changes draw near, Slayton said Stephens residents are happy about the little things.
“I get tickled at some of the girls. ‘You mean we don’t have to clean the bathrooms this year?” Slayton said. “There are just these itty bitty things that are starting to happen, and they’re beginning to get excited.”
