It was announced earlier this semester that Jewett Hall is no longer going to be a residence hall. Instead, the University has decided to use the building as a space for “conferences and events,” whatever that may mean. Though this transition is hard for many, it is easy for those who are relegated to the dungeon that is Jewett to say, “so long.” 

First-year students coming to the end of their stay in the Quads, rejoice! Now, you are no longer required to sleep in a building that was built before your grandparents were born. 

For as much hate as Jewett gets, it does have some perks: a central location on campus, the original lamps standing guard at night with their eerie glow and a quiet, reserved student group with less drama than GK or the Quads. However, for every perk Jewett has, it has twice as many flaws. 

Leaky, unreliable plumbing: Considering they likely haven’t replaced the plumbing since before your parents were born, it is understandable that this prehistoric infrastructure can’t handle the influx of excretions we students create. If you are a resident of Jewett, pray the bathroom floor is only soaked in toilet water and not something more sinister. 

Colonies of mold: College is a great time to experiment with different drugs. Allegra, Claritin and Zyrtec — all do wonders. As for the mold in the showers, if you can’t see the mold, the mold can’t see you and what you can’t see won’t hurt you.

Odors and stenches galore: For a very fortunate few who can’t smell Jewett due to nose blindness or a lost sense of smell, be grateful! On lucky days, the stenches wafting through Jewett are only mildly disgusting and are bearable by opening a window. On unlucky days, it’s best to just avoid the building as much as possible lest you also start to smell like the building. 

With the closure of Jewett, there are some willing to admit their deep distress at its loss. Only days after the announcement, flyers for an Instagram account titled, “Save Jewett” were put up. The page is nothing more than satire created to fill the hours spent rotting away in Jewett. 

While some students may feel a strong connection to Jewett’s musty halls, many do not. No students have organized an actual effort to keep Jewett Hall as a residence hall, and if you’ve lived in the building, it isn’t hard to see why. 

Although it isn’t hard to watch, with Jewett’s closure, it is hard to know that no other students will experience life like we current Jewett dwellers and those who came before us did. 

There are many memories and firsts that were had in the rooms of Jewett. If walls could talk, I’m sure they would share plenty of secret parties, late nights cramming for tests and the making of new lifelong friendships. Though we will not miss living in Jewett, we residents of Jewett Hall will always remember all of the good (and bad) times we had inside those walls. 

Farewell Jewett Hall. You will not be missed, but you will be remembered.