NSU’s Wyly Hall Wins Extreme Housing Makeover

NSUs Wyly Hall Wins Extreme Housing Makeover

TAHLEQUAH For the Northeastern State University students living in Wyly Hall, winning Extreme Housing Makeover was more an act of sheer will than heart-warming reality show story.

Inspired by the TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Extreme Housing Makeover pitted the students living in each of NSUs residence halls against each other in a competition to win a remodel of a hall common area.

The students of Wyly Hall really turned out for this event, said Tammie Willis, hall manager in University Housing. They put a lot of effort into the competition and thought outside the box. They were creative and provided programs and events on campus that interested all of our students. They really wanted to win this contest.

Each residence hall earned points throughout the fall semester by attending university events, hosting programs, participating in Residential Housing Association meetings, creating a hall newsletter and submitting a video detailing why their hall was most deserving of the makeover. Each hall also had the opportunity to submit a general concept of what they wanted in their remodeled room.

The overall goal was to get students to want to live on campus, said Dana Boren-Boer, university marketing coordinator, who spearheaded the organization of Extreme Housing Makeover. Students that live on campus are more likely to be successful and graduate.

After a tough three months of competition, Wyly Hall, home to the NSU Honors students, was announced the winner of Extreme Housing Makeover in December, and work began on creating a gamer lounge and theater in the first floor common area.

NSU dedicated $20,000 to the project, and area sponsors have donated nearly $40,000 worth of labor and materials to create the students desired space. Sponsors for Extreme Housing Makeover include Business Interior, Nabholz Construction, Childers Architect,Action Floors, Lowe's, Building Supply, Sodexo, Chickasaw Telecom, Dell, Sherwin Williams, The Image Group and Tahlequah Lumber.

NSU Physical Plant workers began demolition on the room on Dec. 19. Construction on the new space began Monday, Jan. 12 and can be observed live via webcam by visiting the Extreme Housing Makeover webpage.

An unveiling party for the new Wyly Hall Theater and Gamer Lounge will be held on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 4 p.m. in the parking lot next to the residence hall.

1/15/2009

Published: 2009-01-15 00:00:00