Three years ago, basketball courts next to Rieber Hall were a
popular place for students who lived on the residential Hill to
catch a pick-up game with their friends.
Today, those courts are gone, replaced by Rieber Terrace and
Rieber Vista, two new residence halls with more than 300 rooms
each.
These additions are two in a series of changes to the Hill that
have occurred over the past three years, including the construction
of three new residence halls and two new restaurants.
Both students and housing officials said they believe culture on
the Hill has changed in response to the physical changes.
Alice Chen, a third-year physiological science student, said she
thinks the greater availability of on-campus housing will improve
residents’ experiences because they will come into contact
with a wider range of students.
“In the future, all high rises will have greater mixes of
students, which means you’ll be living with a more diverse
group of people,” she said.
Chen, who lived on the Hill all of her three years at UCLA and
will be a resident assistant next year, said she thinks one of the
most notable culture changes has been the influx of upperclassmen
as more housing becomes available.
“First-years are able to seek advice or counseling from
older students living on their floors,” she said.
The presence of more upperclassmen in the residence halls also
connects Hill culture more closely with campus culture, said Jack
Gibbons, associate director of the Office of Residential Life.
“They’ve already established themselves in student
groups, and they bring those organizations and activities in (to
the Hill),” he said, adding that as a result ORL is now able
to collaborate with student groups to put on events.
Gibbons noted that the opening of more on-campus housing is part
of the UCLA Housing Administration’s master plan, which aims
to guarantee four years of housing to freshmen and two years to
transfers by 2010. Currently, the university guarantees three years
of housing to freshmen and two years to transfers.
However, currently there may be some drawbacks to having more
students living on campus. Gibbons said due to a record number of
students accepting housing contracts for the 2006-2007 academic
year, more residents will be assigned triple rooms than have been
in the past.
Adrian Menezes, a fourth-year molecular, cellular and
developmental biology student who has lived on the Hill for three
years, said he has already noticed the Hill becoming more
crowded.
“The dining halls got more crowded, especially De
Neve,” he said. “Lines are long to get in, and finding
a seat is usually difficult.”
But Gibbons said Housing has also worked on improving existing
housing to accommodate growing student needs. He cited the addition
of academic resources to the Hill, such as computer labs and
tutoring in Covel, as examples.
“We’re seeing more utilization of these programs and
services,” he said. “Our sense is that (students) are
more satisfied with these program enhancements.”
Menezes said he appreciates many of the upgrades.
“Rieber has become more luxurious and convenient since
last year,” he said, adding that he especially liked the
building’s new 24-hour computer lab.
Gibbons pointed out that dining services are undergoing similar
changes. Two years ago, Bruin Café opened, serving coffee,
sandwiches and smoothies. In June, Rendezvous, a new restaurant
serving Mexican and Asian food, opened to largely positive reviews
from students.
But the opening of the new restaurants marked the closure of
another campus favorite ““ Puzzles, which offered traditional
fast food items including burgers, fries and milk shakes and will
close temporarily while nearby Sproul Hall is being renovated.
While many students have repeatedly expressed disappointment
that Puzzles will no longer be an option, Gibbons said the new
range of offerings at other restaurants will offset its
closure.
Still, students can expect more changes to the Hill in the
future. Gibbons said the university plans to renovate Hedrick,
Dykstra and Rieber Halls after Sproul is finished.
With reports from Colin Rushovich, Bruin
contributor.