Up Front | From the Editor

December 1998: Vol. 78, No. 1

everal years ago, close friends from our college days at Purdue asked if they could visit our son's dorm room at Myers Hall because they were thinking of sending their son to UGA.

"Penny, I'll make a deal with you," I said to the decision-maker in the family. "Let me blindfold you until you get to Shane's room, and you'll love it!"

And she did love his old Myers pad—replete with lofts, a hand-me-down couch, and a mini-refrig—because it reminded her of our days at Purdue.

Reed Hall is the first of 10 dorms to be renovated or replaced. Total cost: $60M.

But I should have insisted on the blindfold. Without it, Myers' age and deteriorating condition were painfully obvious: peeling paint in stairwells, dingy lighting in hallways, communal showers—and the place has never had A/C. Our friends were less than wowed, and their son ended up at James Madison.

I told you that story to tell you this one:

Pretty soon, there'll be no need for blindfolds at Myers, which is about to get a facelift. Over the next 12 years, UGA plans to spend $60 million to renovate five residence halls and replace five others. To get the lowdown, read Paul Karr's "Suite deal in UGA housing" story.

Reed Hall was first in line for renovation, but it wasn't quite ready for occupancy when fall semester began in August due to contractor delays. The local newspapers made a pretty big deal out of it, so I went over to check it out.

For a dorm built in 1953, I'd call the new Reed a gem. It has good-sized rooms and 11 new six-person Super Suites, plus private bathrooms, plenty of light—and, yes, A/C. Each floor has a kitchenette with microwave, plus study rooms and nice floor-plan variation from room to room. The curved-glass lobby is like a mini-rotunda with gorgeous wood benches, and one floor below there's a commons room that can accommodate 150 people for meetings and entertainment.

We cover the late-occupancy story on on this page. As you read it, keep in mind that during the delay students were put up at the Holiday Inn—with maid service every day.

No way they have that at James Madison.