Elise Stiemsma— Staff Writer

After the housing issues of last year, Dordt University Administration decided to add another wing to Covenant Hall. They removed some of the 24-hour lobby and basement space, and added on to the basement to extend the area.

“I really like how small the wing is,” Nia Boentoro, Resident Assistant of the new Covey wing, said. “It creates a tight knit community.”

The wing consists of only 16 girls, all of whom are sophomores. Ally Veldhuizen, the Learning Community Area Coordinator for the women’s dorms, purposefully made the wing all sophomores, so that they could adapt to this new space without the added struggles of being a first-year student. The extension updated the furniture to get rid of vanities and closet doors, both of which are frequently removed by students. The showers have cubby space, overhead lights, and a bench just outside.

The lobby space, although shrunk in size, is still frequently used.

“A large portion of [what is now] this wing was going unused anyway. Taking away some of the space has not changed the dynamic quite as much as one might expect,” Boentoro said.

The expansion also means the girls of this wing have their own lobby area, which closes during closed hours. Wing residents frequently use this space to study without disturbing their sleeping roommates.

Some challenges of living in the new wing are the spotty Wi-Fi and adjusting from old Covey-norms. When Boentoro first moved in, much of the furniture still had to be built, proving just how new the space was. Administration recently added a microwave and toaster oven (in replacement of an oven) to the kitchen of the new wing. Even simple things like finding the bathroom on the floor and discovering where each door leads are completely new to residents.

Although a step in the right direction, this expansion has not completely fixed last semester’s housing issues. This semester, there is still little extra space, fitting seven students in Kuyper apartments and four students in West Hall dorm rooms. The new wing in Covenant helped fit more lowerclassmen, but space still remains tight across campus.