Article by Freelancer Dillon Frank
The freshmen who spent their first semester living in Pyon-Chen Hall, a new dorm that opened fall 2021, count themselves lucky.
According to the University of Maryland’s Department of Resident Life website, this six-story, co-ed dorm houses 450 freshman residents. One of Pyon-Chen’s most talked about features is its bathroom configuration.
“We have communal bathrooms, but they’re private. Everyone shares them, but when you go into it, it’s just a shower, toilet and sink all to yourself,” freshman hearing and speech sciences major Jillian Donaldson said.
According to residents, students can control the thermostats in their single or double rooms. The building also features multiple private study rooms and laundry facilities on every floor. In other freshman dorms, there is typically one laundry room for the entire building.
“ I don’t have to worry about waiting for it. I can’t lie. We’re sort of spoiled here,” freshman finance major Cathryn Diaz said.
When other freshmen come to visit their friends in Pyon-Chen Hall, there are a mix of emotions.
“Anyone I’ve ever brought back has been very impressed. It’s been like, how did you get to live here? Like, why are you lucky?” Liz Harris, a freshman philosophy, politics and economics major, said.
Even though visitors and residents are impressed by Pyon-Chen, there are still some kinks to work out. The building’s 12 resident assistants and full-time resident director have had to contend with elevator issues.
“Our elevators are always breaking.. So we have to use an outside contractor to come fix them, which makes everything take a lot longer,” said Emma Brashear, a sophomore computer science and environmental science and policy double major who works at the Pyon-Chen service desk.
Brashear said the elevators are currently under warranty from an outside company which means they are unable to be serviced by 4work. Once the warranty expires, then they will be serviced by 4work like the other buildings on campus.
The dorm’s other challenge is tied to COVID-19. Residents believe the ongoing pandemic is making it harder for them to socialize. But Pyon-Chen’s staff are working hard to build a communal environment.
“At the service desk, I get to create the atmosphere for the building,” Brashear said. “We try to have it be a very welcoming and positive atmosphere, and we get to talk to all of the residents and connect with them as they come through the lobby.”
Even though some issues need to be worked out for future semesters, residents encourage incoming freshmen to live in Pyon-Chen if they have the opportunity to do so.
“I’d definitely recommend this building,” Harris said. “It’s a very nice dorm. I think anyone can see that. And it’s an extra nice community, especially in the [University] Honors program.”