Freshman enrollment increase spurs reopening of EOU's Hunt

EOU students, left to right, Suzette Soalablai, Courtney Parsons and Deneil Hill walk out of Hunt Hall last week. A portion of Hunt Hall is being reopened primarily because of an increase in freshman enrollment at EOU. EOU/LAURA HANCOCK

The residence hall is being reopened due to a jump in freshman enrollment. The spike has filled the Alikut, Daugherty and North residence halls for fall term, which starts Sept. 27. Hunt Hall had been closed since spring 2007.

“This is a great sign. We are rebuilding our on-campus enrollment,’’ said EOU President Bob Davies.

Hunt Hall sections B and D are being reopened. The sections are part of a residence hall that has a capacity of 144 students if each room has two occupants.

Few cobwebs will have to be cleared. Hunt Hall’s rooms have been used each summer since 2007 by youths and adults attending camps and EOU athletes participating in preseason practices.

Hunt Hall, built in the 1940s, is much older than EOU’s three other residence halls, all built in the past dozen years. Still, it is in good condition. Jenkins said major repairs will be needed to reopen Hunt.

“We are doing some extra cleaning and painting,’’ Jenkins said.

EOU’s residence halls had an average of 280 students in 2008-09, 87 below the total capacity of Alikut, Daugherty and North halls.

The jump in students reserving residence hall rooms reflects an increase in freshman enrollment. Freshmen a year or less out of high school are required to live on campus. The only freshmen not required to do so are those living with their parents in Union County, are married, have children or have requested and received a waiver for special circumstances.

Davies said he believes the number of students living on campus will continue to increase as Eastern’s enrollment expands. He said more students will be drawn to campus since more of their friends will be there.

“As we develop a critical mass, this will generate more and more excitement,’’ Davies said.

He compared it to attending a football game.

“If you go to a football game and there are only 15 people in the stands, you won’t come back. But if there are 15,000 you will come back because you want to be part of that vibrancy,’’ Davies said.

Eastern’s residence hall students all are provided meals served at the Hoke Union Building cafeteria. The meals are prepared by ARAMARK, a firm contracted by EOU. Davies noted that ARAMARK is increasing the number of people it employs in La Grande to accommodate the added demands brought on by the increase in EOU freshmen.

Reopening Hunt Hall is also increasing the workload of EOU’s staff. But Davies is not complaining.

“We are excited. This is a good problem to have.’’