Residents of Reinert Hall will experience a number of changes during the 2000-2001 school year, including the removal of carpet from all residence rooms.

“The carpet is being removed for financial reasons,” said Residence Hall Association President Loretta Kojak.

“Carpet lasts only three to five years, while tile will last for 10 to 15 years.”

This change comes only a year after tile replaced carpet in the hallways of Reinet. Both projects are part of the Project SLU2000 infrastructure initiatives.

Reinert residents are concerned about hallway noise. Kojak said that several students voiced this concern at last week’s RHA meeting. Students said that the hallways are already noisy due to the tile. Carpet would have absorbed much of that sound. With both the hallways and rooms tiled, the noise problem will worsen.

RHA made a few recommendations of how to reduce the problem of hallway noise.

“[RHA] recommended soundproof doors or an extra piece of furniture to help absorb hallway noise,” Kojak said.

RHA Vice President Tim Geldmacher said that RHA offered other solutions.

One alternative was to put in industrial strength carpet that would last longer. Another was to install tile on a floor by floor basis. This plan is due to the fact that many of the Reinert rooms currently have new carpet that was installed last summer.

Geldmacher added that one of the main concerns at this particular RHA meeting was that the decision was made without consulting the students.

“I was disappointed that SLU 2000 didn’t include student input,” Kojak said. “However, we’re still in the developing stages of shared governance. Things can still be fixed.”

Kojak added that the position of associate director of residence life, currently held by Argyle Wade, was added to “make sure this happens less.”

University officials from the Departments of Residence Life and Student Development were unavailable for comment.

Residents had mixed reactions to the changes.

“I don’t think they should [remove the carpet],” said Amber Spencer, a Reinert resident. Spencer plans on returning to Reinert Hall next year.

“I don’t like the idea of tile in the room. Tile is something for a kitchen, not a room. I don’t like it at all,” Spencer added.

Another Reinert resident, Donnie Bohnenkamp, had similar feelings.

“I’m upset, but it feels like they’ve already made the decision, and there’s not much we can do about it,” Bohnenkamp said.

One Reinert resident, however, did not think that the removal of the carpet would affect her.

“It’s better for the University in terms of cleaning,” said Megan Irwin. “Our carpet is so stained as it is.”

Irwin added that she and her roommate plan on bringing their own roll of carpet when they return in August.

Reinert Hall will see changes other than the installation of tile over the summer.

All wallpaper will be removed. Hallway doors and drapes, bathroom doors, floors, mirrors and counters will all be replaced. Closets will also be removed, but the University will replace them with wardrobes.

Screens will be added to the windows, allowing for the window stopper to be removed and for students to open the windows further. A central light in the middle of the ceiling will be added, to replace the lamps that hang near the window.