After months of waiting for approval, Jewell Hall’s eight-floor terrace finally opened right before the last month of the spring semester. Students have been awaiting the opening since moving in during August, when they were told it would open a few weeks later.
The terrace is a space for residents to enjoy the outside while having a wide variety of seating to study and socialize. This space is special to Jewell Hall since it’s the only residence hall with a terrace.
“I just love how peaceful it is and I like going up there when I need a change of scenery and for like when I’m studying and stuff,” said Jenna Durbin, a resident of Jewell Hall.
The terrace was originally set to open on March 31, but due to the weather, it was pushed back until April 9.
While residents are currently enjoying the terrace concerns are still raised for how long next year’s residents will have the space open. This year isn’t the first time a delay has happened; it’s actually the second year in a row.
“It has to do with like the fire department, and we are waiting for like their approval and stuff like that,” Akua Asamoah, a residence advisor at Jewell Hall, said. “So, I think these kinds of things go above me and my boss.”
Once the space was approved the resident hall staff and officials had to come together to create a list of rules to make sure the terrace is being used how it was supposed to and to make sure everyone follows safety guidelines.
“I understand the reasoning behind them because I know that we are trying to be really cautious,” Asamoah said. “We don’t want the excitement to go a little too far.”
The rules include the terrace only being open from noon till 10 p.m. with a two-hour reservation limit and only 10 total residents allowed in one party. There is a 20-person limit at any time, and residents must fill out a form and check out a key to be allowed on the terrace.
“Overall, I think the rules are fair, it is kind of annoying how even if there isn’t 20 people up there you can’t go because there is only enough keys for four parties but that’s the only thing I would change,” Durbin said.
While these rules have been in place since the opening some residents haven’t followed the guidelines, which caused the closing of the terrace after only five days of students being able to use the space.
“For example like there have been things like where people who were not supposed to be on the terrace are on the terrace, people who are, people who bring things that they aren’t supposed to bring, they bring, they bring it on the terrace its stuff like that I think they are just too excited and they think that they can do whatever they want,” Asamoah said.
After a week of the terrace being closed due to residents’ behavior, the rooftop space finally reopened on April 22.
