By: Mallory Turner and Chelsea Sydnor
H.A.P.Y. (Hoey, Anthony, Padgett, Young) Hall is the dorm on campus reserved for students in the Honors Program at Gardner-Webb. It is split into two sections: the main building that houses women, while the adjoining McMurray wing houses men.
Female – HAPY Review
The Honors aspect of HAPY is one of the largest reasons that its female residents choose to live there. A little over half of the female residents surveyed said that Honors was what originally drew them to HAPY.
Freshman Callie Elliott said she felt that there is a greater “sense of respect toward those doing their school work,” than can be found anywhere else.
“Honors-only housing [creates] a stronger community that you might not get in other dorms,” said sophomore resident Alice Byrd. “Everybody knows everybody.”
95 percent of respondents indicated that they felt a distinct sense of community in HAPY. 70 percent said that they are comfortable with leaving their door open while in their rooms.
“Everyone in HAPY gets along, and the sense of community makes me feel at home,” said sophomore Hayden Corley.
Photo by Megan Hartman
Another popular aspect of HAPY is the layout of the restrooms. Rather than having a communal bathroom for each floor, every two rooms are connected by a single bathroom; meaning each bathroom is only shared by four women.
Additionally, over 76 percent of the women surveyed rated the bathrooms within HAPY as either “good” or “excellent.”
When asked what HAPY offered that other dorms do not, sophomore Emily Szalkowski responded that, “The privacy with the bathrooms [is best]. It’s nice because you know who is using your bathroom.”
However, similar to all of the other previously reviewed dorms, one of the largest drawbacks of HAPY was the laundry room. 9 out of the 21 girls surveyed mentioned that the laundry room lacked enough machines to accommodate all the girls of HAPY.
There are currently two sets of washers and dryers. According to those surveyed, that number is inadequate. “The laundry is almost always full,” said several anonymous respondents. “[And we need] more laundry machines that don’t constantly break.”
In spite of those complaints, the female residents of HAPY were largely positive about their living arrangements.
An anonymous respondent said that “HAPY offers a friendly, close environment and is very warm and inviting.”
Male – HAPY Review
The male wing of HAPY is near the quad, the business building, the music building and is just a short walk from the caf. Like many of the previously mentioned dorms, the location isn’t the main reason that the residents chose to stay in HAPY; it’s the community.
In fact, the original reason many of the residents surveyed said they came to the dorm is either because it was the Honors dorm, or because they wanted to room with someone who was already living in the dorm.
The fact that the hall is exclusively Honors, provides a unique, tight-knit community that a majority of the seven residents surveyed said was a key aspect that led them to stay in the dorm.
Junior and three year resident of HAPY, Jeremy Boudah, said that, “the community is arguably closer than any other hall on campus.”
Approximately 85 percent of the surveyed residents said that friendships in the dorm are easy to make, and the same amount said that they feel there is a great sense of community within HAPY.
However, a great sense of community isn’t the only thing that stands out. Each room in HAPY hall offers an individual sink, a unique feature that few other dorms on campus share.
Photo by Megan Hartman
Another thing that makes HAPY different from other dorms is the fact that there are co-ed activities; since it is the only dorm on campus that has males and females living within the same building (although they are separated by doors that require you to swipe your card).
Still, there are areas that the residents feel could use improvements. The building itself is not as updated as many of the other dorms on campus, which is a common complaint among the residents surveyed.
Cory Walters, a senior who has lived in HAPY for one year, said “the bathrooms are just older.”
The state of the bathrooms is a concern that many of the survey participants voiced. Boudah commented that Gardner-Webb needs to “remodel the bathroom to be [as new] as the other dorms.”
Other complaints pointed out issues concerning the kitchen and the laundry room. Similar to many of the other male dorms on
Photo by Megan Hartman
campus, the kitchen and the laundry room are shared, which can create space problems on daily basis. “[The] kitchen and laundry room needs to be bigger,” said Adam White, a senior who has lived in HAPY for four years.
Respondents also noted that HAPY’s lobby, located within the female area of the building, is a big an issue. Chris Beguhl, a junior, said that, “the lobby is shared with the female wing, and is only accessible by getting a female resident to let you through or by going outside about 40 feet.”
Overall, the sense of community within the male wing of HAPY, as well as its unique features, is enough to make its residents overlook the negatives.
If you would like to review your own on campus housing, please submit your opinions to GWU-Today, at [email protected].
