By Makenna Hall, Contributing Writer
First-year and Sophomore housing accommodations are subject to change for the following fall semester to account for the growing upper class and create a better the Sophomore Experience, according to Residence Life.
Starting next semester first-year housing will be Smith, Aikens, Reed, the GO House, and the Scholar House. The GO and Scholar Houses are expected to hold 47 first-years combined, according to Housing Coordinator Colleen Moore.
The offices in the basements of the GO and Scholar Houses will remain for now. “There is no plans to rename [the buildings], but a few years down the line who knows,” Moore said.
Next semester Hassinger Hall is anticipated to be exclusively a Sophomore residence hall, rather than a mix of Sophomores and first-years as it is currently. Over the summer, the basement will be reconstructed from offices to a residential area and a state-of-theart kitchen and lounge area will be added, according to Moore.
The renovated Hassinger Hall will hold just under 100 residents, as opposed to the 80 residents it currently holds.
Moore explained that this was not a random decision that was made, but that a lot of research has been going on in the background by the Center for Academic Achievement and Residence Life.
“In higher education, it started to be a thing about eight or so years ago to really start focusing [on Sophomore Experience]. We kind of got First Year Experience as higher education in general, down. The best practices are out there,” Moore said.
Because Susquehanna is so focused on the First Year Experience, the GO Program for juniors, and post-graduation opportunities for seniors, sophomores often become the “forgotten class,” according to Danielle Cartwright, Area Coordinator for Second Year Programs.
Residence Life is hoping that the changes to the residence halls will be a start in improving the Sophomore Experience on campus.
Cartwright said, “The new housing accommodations will allow the students to live in a community that is focused on the specific experience of sophomores. Students will be surrounded by those who may be taking the same classes, facing the same challenges, or involved in the same organizations, which will allow for a deeper connection to their community and built-in support system.”
