Written by: Alissa Flores
Southern’s Reflection Pointe residents are moving back to campus to occupy the university’s Mountain Cottages apartments, located on Bear Mountain Loop.
According to Marty Hamilton, associate vice president of Financial Administration, 104 students were issued keys last week and began the move-in process on Dec. 6 at noon, with females having priority until the other 16 Certificates of Occupancy from the City of Collegedale were completed.
Hamilton said he attended a meeting in Thatcher South on Nov. 18, with multiple deans and the vice president for Student Development, Dennis Negrón. According to Hamilton, approximately 40 students were also invited to ask questions and discuss the move-in plans. At the meeting, many students said that, due to outdated information given about the original estimation of the cottages’ completion, they had understood the move-in date would be Dec. 1.
Benjamin Dos Santos, a junior nursing major, said he wished t administrators had communicated clearly with students during the semester regarding the timeline and other details related to the move..
“I am not the happiest about having to move while having the stress of taking [final] examinations,” Dos Santos said. “I was planning on having to move the first weekend of December, which I believe would have been better for everyone. It did not necessarily make me change all my plans, but now I have to manage my time way better than I was expecting I would have to.”
According to Dos Santos, administration made it clear, from the beginning of the school year, that the privilege of living in Reflection Pointe was temporary and that affected students would move to Mountain Cottages during the fall semester, as soon as construction was complete.
Hamilton acknowledged that some students initially seemed frustrated during the meeting in November.
“I would say it was a little tense because they felt like more emails or communication should have gone out to them to keep them posted on what’s happening,” Hamilton said. “You know, I can’t deny that. I don’t think the deans did, either. We all could have done a better job of making sure those students at Reflection knew what was happening. But after that, they had time to talk and discuss, and there were a lot of questions and answers that we went through.”
Hamilton and his team had originally estimated the cottages would be habitable by the week before Thanksgiving.
“Weather and rain have been a constant on-and-off situation up there, and we’re also relying on multiple contractors,” Hamilton said. “It became apparent to me that, looking at their schedule and all the things that needed to be done, we were going to be working through Thanksgiving and getting a lot of stuff tidied up by the end of November.”
Hamilton also explained that the hurricanes earlier this fall had contributed to delays in construction. Electricity installation and inspections had been scheduled for earlier in the semester, but because many utility workers helped with relief efforts in North Carolina, the timeline shifted. He noted that earlier discussions among students and faculty mentioned a Dec. 1 move-in date, which surprised him as he doubted the rooms would be ready by then.
“I told my staff at Plant Services to make sure the electronic locks were ready for the students to use at noon on Friday [Dec. 6],” Hamilton said.
The cottages passed inspections on Dec. 5, according to Hamilton, who confirmed that the 26 cottages were ready. Females moved into the first 10 cottages, leaving the remaining 16 to males. Deans had also coordinated moving vans to assist students who made prior arrangements, Hamilton said. In addition to the move-in date, Hamilton recalled, parking and storage were two other areas of student concern.
He said his team is working on cleaning up an area for additional parking, which will include parallel parking, on some of the roads near the cottages. Also, well-lit walking paths and steps to Brock Hall and the AdventHealth building, from the Mountain Cottages, provide a greener alternative to driving to classes, he explained
Regarding the storage issues, Hamilton said, “We’re making provisions for a trailer to be up there that we’ll have set up with cages like the dorms so that if you need a cage, then you can put your lock on, and it will be temperature-controlled.”
Collin Emde, a junior marketing major commented on his experience and Reflection Pointe and voiced some issues he think may occur regarding his move back to campus.
“The apartments we live in at Reflection Pointe are very nice,” said Emde. “Even though the cottages are very nice and brand new, the transition may be difficult for some students. I know many students who purchased entertainment centers, more clothing and even decorations for their apartments that will never be able to fit in the cottages. So, there will definitely be frustration around the size differences of our living spaces.”
Students have from Dec 6 to 20 to move out of Reflection Pointe.
According to Hamilton, students have from Dec. 6 to 20 to move out of Reflection Pointe.
“Being out by the 20th is putting a lot of pressure on my team because we have to move all the furniture out, clean the apartments and then turn the keys into Reflection,” Hamilton said.
With finals, the holidays and future big move, Emde summarized how he feels as a new Mountain Cottages resident regarding these upcoming weeks.
“Living in Reflection Pointe has been amazing, and I’ve truly appreciated having a spacious and set-apart apartment to call home for the last few months,” Emde said. “That said, I’m excited to be back on campus soon. The only downside is that the move-in slots for the cottages are scheduled during one of the most hectic times of the year—finals week in December. While I understand that scheduling might be tricky, adding a big move to an already overwhelming week feels like a lot to juggle.”
