Modernize Creekside Residence Hall
October 4, 2022
As an incoming first-year at UT, choosing the perfect residence hall was my top priority. After much online research, my first choice was Jester East. Unfortunately, University Housing and Dining placed me in Creekside Residence Hall — the University’s lowest-rated dormitory. I quickly realized how unprepared I was for life in Creekside.
Located on the far east edge of campus, Creekside — an all-male residence hall — is about a 15-minute walk from the Jester Center. Inconvenient location aside, Creekside is in desperate need of modernization. The residence hall opened in 1954 and doesn’t appear to have undergone substantive renovations since. As such, UHD should modernize Creekside Residence Hall to provide students with a higher-quality dorm experience.
Chipped showerheads, corroded AC units and a lack of floor-to-ceiling shower and bathroom dividers are just a few issues I’ve seen plaguing Creekside’s communal bathrooms. The partly-rusted windows have collected immeasurable amounts of dirt and dust. Inside the rooms, outdated furniture and cracked tiling further dampen students’ living experiences.
Benjamin Castro, a history freshman living in Creekside, shared his experiences with the residence hall.
“I suppose one of the bigger complaints I have with Creekside is the bathroom situation,” Castro said. “The showers themselves don’t have any real place to put bottles of shampoo or your towel. There are no sinks in the rooms, so every morning when I want to brush my teeth, I have to actually get out into … the public bathroom, and it’s not very convenient.”
Studies have shown that our environments greatly influence behavioral attitudes. While modern residence halls exude reassurance and warmth, outdated dorms can lower mood and heighten psychological discomfort. Updating Creekside Residence Hall could influence residents to become happier, more productive students.
UHD recently authorized renovations for the Jester East and Kinsolving dormitories, overhauling the buildings’ air conditioning units, plumbing, laundry rooms and interior design. While this is a good start, UHD should do the same for Creekside, which is in need of updated infrastructure.
Don Ates, director of residential facilities at UHD, said the department is shifting its focus to Creekside.
“We are always looking at ways to improve these dormitories,” Ates said. “We’re in the process of doing the study on Creekside as we speak to see how feasible it is to bring it up and work.”
He mentioned that UHD conducts routine condition assessments on dorms, where “they look at all systems — structure, mechanical, electrical, plumbing.” However, these condition assessments don’t necessarily translate to quick results.
“Like anything, there’s (only) so much budget that you have,” Ates said. “We want to make sure we budget for the right place. We’ve got to go through lots of different people to get (projects) signed off on.”
Thus far, Creekside’s ongoing assessment has not yielded any noticeable or even tangible changes. But if renovations are approved, Ates addressed potential housing cost hikes.
“(UHD) looks at cost,” Ates said. “We want quality, but we want it to be at the best economical price possible, so we do take that into consideration.”
Residence halls are students’ homes away from home. When choosing residence halls, students shouldn’t feel they’ve received the short end of the stick. By expeditiously modernizing Creekside, UHD could standardize dorm quality and enhance students’ lifestyles.
“Right now, the most important thing to us is what the residents say,” Ates said. “At the end of time, we’ve got to realize that everyone’s got to live here.”
Gokhale is an undeclared business freshman from Allen, Texas.
