Named Trinity House, new East Campus dorm will have different drinking rules

<p>The new residence hall on East Campus will be completed in January 2018.</p>

The new residence hall on East Campus will be completed in January 2018.

There will be different rules for drinking in the new East Campus dorm than the rest of East Campus while juniors live there. 

The new residence hall will be called Trinity House, according to Kristen Brown, associate vice president for news, communications and media. Some students returning from their Fall semesters abroad will be housed in the new East Campus dorm in Spring 2018. The first set of first-years to be housed in the new dorm will be the class of 2022 students in Fall 2018.

The entirety of East Campus currently adheres to a “dry” policy, in which alcohol is not permitted in any of the dorms or surrounding grounds. However, when upperclassmen—predominantly juniors—live in the new dorm, the rest of East Campus’ “dry” policy concerning alcohol will not apply to the new dorm for only the Spring 2018 semester, noted Joe Gonzalez, interim assistant vice president of student affairs and dean for residential life.

“I don’t think it’ll be much of a problem at all actually,” Gonzalez said.

Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, wrote in an email that he also didn't see any problem with it. 

“I see no concerns," Moneta wrote. "Housing and Residential Life have plans for accommodating upper class students on East.”

The $25 million project was originally meant to replace Epworth, Jarvis and East residence halls—three of the oldest and smallest dorms on East Campus. Gonzalez, however, said that “it’s possible that not all three [dorms] will close,” and that the University may “still need to use one if not two.”

“No decisions are yet made and discussions continue. We won't know for several months,” Moneta wrote.

According to a March email from HDRL sent to students going abroad, no students will be released from their residency requirement and allowed to live off campus when they return for the Spring semester, as has been allowed in the past. Instead, the new East dorm, along with available spaces on West Campus, Central Campus and in the 300 Swift apartment complex, will house all returning students, Gonzalez noted. Students will be able to choose their preferred locations for housing and to request blocks of up to six people in the new East dorm.

Gonzalez described the main level of the new dorm as being a large shared space, with a combination of electronic gaming amenities, study areas and social areas. He also noted the dorm would have a large kitchen, an arcade-like area and a small theater space. Each floor of the four-story building will have a common area for studying and another one similar to a living room.

“We just think it’s going to be a spectacular space for students,” Gonzalez said. 

Correction: This article was updated to reflect that the class of 2022 students will live in the new dorm in Fall 2018, not Fall 2019.

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