Students discuss the ups and downs of living in Clearview Hall.
The Clearview Hall facility overlooking main campus opened in the fall of 2016 with the hopes of fostering community and promoting healthy social interactions for first-year students, and for many it has, but various students who live in the 130-bedroom residence have made claims that living in Clearview has been both enjoyable, as well as problematic for many reasons.
A verbal poll of students living in Clearview revealed information about how students feel living in the four-story building. Many students said they felt welcome due to their participation in activities and workshops hosted by Residence Life, which were designed to assist with adjusting to college life as well as on-campus living.
Some students said that the dormitory allows them to progress further in their studies. “I can go to the study rooms,” said Lynnette Grullon, another freshman staying at Clearview. “I can find quiet places inside Clearview. Sometimes I feel like the library can be too crowded, and I feel like you get sick there easily.”
Although many students have enjoyed their time at Clearview, others have made different claims citing drug and alcohol abuse, as well as verbal altercations.
According to the CSU campus police website, there have been arrests at Clearview for possession of both alcohol and marijuana on more than one occasion since 2016. Since January of 2018, six incidents involving campus police have been reported.
Savanna Doster, a freshman and nursing major, commented on some of the behavior. “There was only like one night, but that whole night was crazy,” Doster said. “People were just being rude in general and just kept telling me to ‘Go back to your room, white girl.’ It was crazy.” Doster also talked about the di culties of living with friends. “You get to see the best and the worst in people,” she added.
One could assume that before coming to college, most students are used to living in their own rooms and having more space. When asked about their opinion of suite-style living arrangements, Clearview residents had varying answers. “ e only problem with dorm life is having to live with random people. You’re not really connected with those people,” Kolawole Olorunfemi said. “At home, I used to room with my brother, but it was different because we had all those years together.”
Football player Tieric Reese said that residents should be able to live separately. “I would change the rooms basically,” Reese said, “Everybody would get their own rooms.” Another resident, Jamar Petigiy-Francois, commented on the size of the building. “Clearview is just too small, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Additionally, some residents have complained about drug use in the building. Last semester, there was a mandatory meeting to discuss residency rules. Not everyone understood having to attend when they were not a part of the problem.
“I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s like one big family,” freshman Chase Brandenburg said. “I only knew one person coming in here, and now I can’t walk down the hall without saying hey to somebody.”
“It’s easy to make and keep friends because you see them everyday,” said resident Kayla Foster. Overall, there have mostly been positive comments about the dorm in general. Student athletes were happy about proximity between the dorms and the fields. Many other students were relieved about the availability of resources within the dorms as well. Clearview Hall may have its problems, but a large and diverse living situation is never problem-free.
