By After students living on 4th Main in St. Charles, gave up looking for the long lost elevator and climbed up the stairs to their rooms, they were met with a special surprise note on bathroom doors:
“Closed for remodeling.”
Yes, there were grumbles and complaints, but some just chose to look on the bright side of flush-free living.
“It was inconvenient, but it was also kind of fun,” said Sarah Hiller, a senior psychology major with a minor in Catholic Studies. “Because I was able to grow in community with Fourth South or Third South since I was using those bathrooms. I got to chit chat with them, which was kinda fun.”
Hiller, from Pocatello, Idaho, serves as the peer minister on Fourth Main.
Eventually, of course, the displaced students got their bathrooms back. The Grand Reopening happened on Sept. 18.
After nearly a month of having to traverse down to 4th South, or 3rd South to brush their teeth, take a shower, or even just wash their hands, the 4th Main crowd no longer had to climb up and down two flights of stairs.
“This bathroom remodel is part of larger efforts to remodel, refresh, and update St. Charles Hall,” said Jonathyn Jannot, assistant housing director. “The college recognizes that the building is in need of some care and attention. This remodel was one of the many efforts to continue to improve the building.”
St. Charles is more than 100 years old, so it’s hardly surprising that Carroll’s original building needs a little care and touch-up to the bathrooms.
“One of the reasons for starting with the 4th Main bathroom for remodeling was that we could go from the top down with the building in terms of bathroom remodels,” said Jannot. “There have been conversations about 3rd Main being next for a bathroom remodel, potentially beginning next summer.”
Based on the raving reviews of fourth-floor residents, hopefully, the rest of Charles will soon also have their own brand new bathroom.
“I didn’t see the bathroom before it was remodeled, but I am really happy with the remodel. It’s really nice,” said Emily Barnett, a sophomore environmental science, accounting, and strategic finance major from Aurora, Oregon.
