Construction on Rockefeller College's Holder Hall is on schedule to be completed Aug. 15, in time for students to move in next academic year.
The sixth and ninth entryways of the U-shaped building will feature new second-floor lounges. There will also be bathrooms on each floor. Previously, all the restrooms were located below ground, Rockefeller College administrator Pat Heslin said.
Triplets of entryways will be linked together by hallways to foster more unity in Holder, Heslin said. The basement, which will connect all of the entryway together below ground, will feature an arcade, a TV room, a laundry room, a kitchen, lounges, study rooms and the Rocky College Office.
The construction is designed to restore some of Holder's waning appeal, Heslin said.
"Before any of the other Rocky dorms were renovated, Holder was the most coveted. Students were happy in the unique courtyard of Holder," she said.
Dean of Rocky College Jonathan Schoenwald agreed that Holder is an essential part of Rocky college.
"One might argue that [Holder] is the heart of Rocky. This is based both on its location near the dining hall and its symbolic presence," he said. "In many ways, it's the archetype of Princeton and an indispensable part of the Rocky environment. We've been fine without it this year, but people want it back. It's its own little community in some way."
Schoenwald said he expected some students would dismiss Holder's potential. "People might look at the construction and not envision how amazing it's going to be," he said.
Kit Tollerson '08, a resident of Witherspoon, said he did not believe the renovated Holder would live up to its billing.
"It's all hype, all hype," he said.
Other students, though, are excited about the changes. Jonathan Sweemer '08 said he is attracted to the dorm because of its historical tradition.
"I found [Holder] appealing because I think of it as the Rocky from the old days," he said.
Kevin Block '08 cited Holder's "mystique" as the reason it appealed to him.
"It's like the beautiful girl in school who's unavailable, who doesn't go out with anyone. Now that she will be available, everyone wants her," he said.
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