(Photo: A recently installed kitchenette in Roosevelt Hall, of the Academic Village.)
One year after the return of the Academic Village, it is obvious that “independent, suite-style living” was long overdue for upperclassmen at SUNY Old Westbury.
Woodlands residents have access to elevators, laundry rooms on each floor, and air conditioning. These are all features not enjoyed by residents of the AV. Instead, the AV offers students the privacy and independence they deserve as upperclassmen.
Laurence Nash, a senior, who has returned to Woodlands after living in the AV, says he misses the AV lifestyle, “Especially when it comes to the bathrooms. Having to share a bathroom with 2 or 3 people is much easier than sharing a bathroom with 10+ people.”
Residents who live in the AV typically have two or three other suitemates who they share a bathroom with. Woodlands residents share a communal bathroom with everyone in their wing, which can sometimes be well over a dozen students, depending on how full that wing is. The communal bathrooms consist of four showers, four toilets, and several sinks.
Despite missing the AV lifestyle, Nash says he is happy to be back in Woodlands because his walk to class is shorter and he has an air conditioner again. He also stated, “we have an elevator, which made moving in a breeze.” He added that when he lived in the AV last semester, “[he] had to buy a smaller fridge than the one that [he has] because it would’ve been a nightmare trying to get it up the stairs.”
If AV residents were given window ACs or allowed to install their own window AC, students would have nothing to complain about other than a lack of elevators. While the AV has this shortcoming, the privacy and independent style living it offers make the AV the ideal choice for upperclassmen.
AV residents are able to enter their halls at any hour of the night using a physical key, without a Residential Assistant (RA.)
On the other hand, residents of the Woodlands Halls must scan their student ID cards to enter. They are also required to enter via the front door after 10pm, when all entrances are unable to be unlocked by anyone who is not an RA or Desk Attendant.
This system can be very frustrating for students, especially for those who may get off work after 10 p.m. or for residents of Hall 5 who drive.
Woodlands residents that drive usually park in the Campus Center lot, which is fairly close to the rear entrance of Hall 5. During the day, the close proximity comes in handy for Hall 5 residents. However, after 10 p.m., students must walk around their hall and then through the Woodlands Courtyard in order to enter through the front where the RA office is located.
Despite its inconvenience, the Woodlands system is an important safety feature. The system makes it easy to account for unauthorized or non-affiliated guests since RAs or Desk Attendants can request a student ID to verify that those seeking access are authorized to enter the halls.
