Mallett and Purington’s Long-Awaited Facelift
Mallett Hall is one of two residence halls that will close next year for renovations.
April 5, 2023
Rowan Fitzgerald, Contributing Writer
In the 2023-24 academic year, the Purington and Mallett residence halls will be closed for renovations, causing a stir amongst students and staff.
Purington and Mallett Hall have been staples of the UMF housing community since their inception in 1914 and 1924, respectively. As Purington was the first, a new residence hall was needed to house the growing student population at UMF. Originally called South Hall, it was eventually renamed to Mallett Hall in 1940 in honor of Principal W.G. Mallett to honor his service to UMF.
Since then, both dormitories have stood the test of time by housing countless students since their respective inceptions to help further the education of each passing generation; however, the housing department at UMF has recently announced that both dormitories will be closing in the coming academic year due to much-needed renovations and will unavailable as housing options.
Unsurprisingly, this has caused mixed reactions among the student-body. Isaiah Day, a Community Assistant (CA) in Mallett Hall and sophomore at UMF, expressed his thoughts on the matter.
“The state of Mallett Hall is pretty complex,” Day said. “ It certainly seems, to me at least, the closing of Mallett Hall and Purington Hall are not as serious as the closing of Lockwood this year because of the heating issue, and Dakin the past year because of the need for a hall to quarantine people. But I do see some issues that they could address.”
While the specifics of the renovations have not been announced, there are a number of quality of life changes that Day suggests.
“I have gotten a few splinters from going down the stairs. If they were doing big renovations they could change the bathroom to single users although I doubt the changes will be that big. They may change the heating system so they are no longer radiators. If they were doing more big renovations they could also change some of the rooms to be suites as they have done in Stone; but again I doubt that.”
Elisabeth Carlson, a junior at UMF and another CA in Mallett Hall, felt similarly regarding the state of the building.
“I think it's a beautiful building. There are some areas that have issues, like the bathrooms, and the lights in the lounge, but I think overall it's been very well cared for. I'm sure the renovations will be helpful,” She commented. “I'm not sure about “long overdue.” I never really had a problem with either of the buildings - I know they just did one of the first floor Mallett bathrooms, so that might have something to do with my feelings - but I certainly think they need it.”
Purington has faced a host of similar issues as well. Students living on the third floor have dealt with a leaking roof, causing a headache for the maintenance department and students alike. One summer it was reported that a bat had somehow made Purington its home, frightening the few students that lived on campus. Heating and plumbing problems have also been reported plaguing both halls, another likely candidate for the needed renovations.
Regardless of the state that either building is in, the displacement of students into new and unfamiliar residence halls has certainly been a point of contention.
“The hall closing will affect me because I have spent so much time here,” Day explained. “I was very prepared to live in this hall for my whole time here. Unfortunately, this was just not to be. I would not say I am emotional about it, but it is certainly a little sad that I will have to live somewhere else next year.”
Carlson had similar feelings on the matter, saying:
“The familiarity of the buildings was important to me. Not being able to live in either for my final year is incredibly disappointing, but I think it'll be okay. I'm sure there are other students who have similar feelings - I had a friend mention that Mallett and Purington are the easiest buildings to get emotionally attached to.”
Needless to say, there are a number of mixed emotions that students have been feeling with this announcement. The absence of both halls for the coming semester will prove to be challenging for many students in terms of adjustment.
It will be interesting, however, to see what these changes will bring to each building. Upon their re-opening, it will be fair to assume that a number of students will be marking their calendars to apply early to return to a more familiar home here at UMF.
