With the new Joseph Z. and Louise H. Ornelas Residential Complex, some may wonder about the living conditions of the older dorms on Tyler Junior College campus.
The older dorms are Bateman Hall housing 150 students, Hudnall Hall housing 90 students, Sledge and Holley Hallhousing 60 to 70 students each, and Lewis, Vaughn, and West Halls lodging about 50 students each. There are a total of nine dorms in all.
“Our current dorms may be old, but they have a lot of character and history that is symbolic to the school. A lot of our alumni send their kids to the older dorms they used to reside in to give them a little piece of their history,” said Melody Huff, area coordinator of Residential Life.
Each hall has full-time staff for operational supervision and student development activities. The dorms contain basic living amenities like beds, microwaves and television in the main room of each building.
One student residing in Bateman by the name of Tryneshia Ford said that they had to bring their own refrigerators.The dorms are ready for students to move in when they are first opened to the campus for the semester.
Maria Cazares, a student of Hudnall Hall, said that the students have to clean it themselves while residing.
“Ours is clean and roomier than most,” said Ford.
James Gaylord, a student residing in Holley Hall, said that their dorms were pretty clean, livable, but a little dusty.
“We need brooms,” he said.
Ornelas being the newer dorm is expected to be the most clean. Ornelas is the only co-ed dorm on campus. It has 462 beds, sand volleyball court, and a convenience store.
One particular student currently in Ornelas has experienced being a resident of Sledge, Bateman, and Holly.
“It is big and spacious, but just as good as Holley [Hall],” said Nicolas Bremby.
He recommended Holley Hall for the students who prefer quieter dorms.
“Ornelas is starting to become a little noisy,” said Bremby.
According to the residential life department, there are no more rooms available for the school year.
