An open house for Wayne State College students to visit the new Stearns Hall was held on Jan. 16, featuring its amenities and unique qualities.
“It was great. We began the open house at five and had people walk in a couple minutes later. I should have kept count, but I want to say upwards of 70 students came,” Miguel Barajas, Assistant Director of Residence Life at WSC, said. Barajas oversees Anderson Hall, Neihardt Hall, and now Stearns Hall.
“From the feedback that I received, the students of Wayne State College loved the new residence hall. A numerous amount of students asked when the housing application became available so that they could apply,” Barajas said. The opening of the new residence hall was an exciting event for many students.
“A lot of the students went to the open house to see what the dorms looked like because we didn’t see any pictures or anything like that beforehand,” Maddie Saub said.
The construction of Stearns Hall began in August of 2023 and finished this January.
“I want to say that during the construction of the building we, as a college, did a fantastic job of getting the students excited for a new residence hall,” Bajaras said. Stearns hall is unique in comparison to the other residence halls due to its amenities and room styles.
“I love the cardio room. I am in there every day. It is so nice not having to walk across campus to the recreational center, just being able to go upstairs to get my cardio is amazing. I also think that the lobby area is really nice, it’s really open. I love the new kitchen as well,” Saub said. In addition to the communal areas, the dorm rooms themselves have also been well-received.
“I am in a double suite currently. The single suites are also really nice. Being able to have your own bathroom and shower is amazing. Also, in the traditional room side [of the building], each of those dorms all have bathrooms that are single-user. There are eight bathrooms with showers in them,” Saub said. These qualities of Stearns Hall are predicted to attract the interest of many students.
“My favorite thing about Stearns Hall is the many amenities the building offers. A fitness room, an open kitchen space with brand new appliances, brand new pool table, suite style living, lounge space, etc,” Bajaras said.
Stearns Hall’s open house to the students of WSC gave them the opportunity to learn more about the building and its amenities.