Three years ago, basketball courts next to Rieber Hall were a popular place for students who lived on the residential Hill to catch a pick-up game with their friends.
Today, those courts are gone, replaced by Rieber Terrace and Rieber Vista, two new residence halls with more than 300 rooms each.
These additions are two in a series of changes to the Hill that have occurred over the past three years, including the construction of three new residence halls and two new restaurants.
Both students and housing officials said they believe culture on the Hill has changed in response to the physical changes.
Alice Chen, a third-year physiological science student, said she thinks the greater availability of on-campus housing will improve residents’ experiences because they will come into contact with a wider range of students.
“In the future, all high rises will have greater mixes of students, which means you’ll be living with a more diverse group of people,” she said.
Chen, who lived on the Hill all of her three years at UCLA and will be a resident assistant next year, said she thinks one of the most notable culture changes has been the influx of upperclassmen as more housing becomes available.
“First-years are able to seek advice or counseling from older students living on their floors,” she said.
The presence of more upperclassmen in the residence halls also connects Hill culture more closely with campus culture, said Jack Gibbons, associate director of the Office of Residential Life.
“They’ve already established themselves in student groups, and they bring those organizations and activities in (to the Hill),” he said, adding that as a result ORL is now able to collaborate with student groups to put on events.
Gibbons noted that the opening of more on-campus housing is part of the UCLA Housing Administration’s master plan, which aims to guarantee four years of housing to freshmen and two years to transfers by 2010. Currently, the university guarantees three years of housing to freshmen and two years to transfers.
However, currently there may be some drawbacks to having more students living on campus. Gibbons said due to a record number of students accepting housing contracts for the 2006-2007 academic year, more residents will be assigned triple rooms than have been in the past.
Adrian Menezes, a fourth-year molecular, cellular and developmental biology student who has lived on the Hill for three years, said he has already noticed the Hill becoming more crowded.
“The dining halls got more crowded, especially De Neve,” he said. “Lines are long to get in, and finding a seat is usually difficult.”
But Gibbons said Housing has also worked on improving existing housing to accommodate growing student needs. He cited the addition of academic resources to the Hill, such as computer labs and tutoring in Covel, as examples.
“We’re seeing more utilization of these programs and services,” he said. “Our sense is that (students) are more satisfied with these program enhancements.”
Menezes said he appreciates many of the upgrades.
“Rieber has become more luxurious and convenient since last year,” he said, adding that he especially liked the building’s new 24-hour computer lab.
Gibbons pointed out that dining services are undergoing similar changes. Two years ago, Bruin Café opened, serving coffee, sandwiches and smoothies. In June, Rendezvous, a new restaurant serving Mexican and Asian food, opened to largely positive reviews from students.
But the opening of the new restaurants marked the closure of another campus favorite – Puzzles, which offered traditional fast food items including burgers, fries and milk shakes and will close temporarily while nearby Sproul Hall is being renovated.
While many students have repeatedly expressed disappointment that Puzzles will no longer be an option, Gibbons said the new range of offerings at other restaurants will offset its closure.
Still, students can expect more changes to the Hill in the future. Gibbons said the university plans to renovate Hedrick, Dykstra and Rieber Halls after Sproul is finished.
With reports from Colin Rushovich, Bruin contributor.