By Richard Hill
MISSISSIPPI STATE (Take 30 News) – Mississippi State University will begin the demolition process of Rice Hall in the Summer of 2020.
Though opinions of Rice Hall vary tremendously from student to student, administration decided to demolish the building and build something else in its place.
Dei Allard, the Executive Director of Housing and Residence, said that they weighed several options, but ultimately decided to rebuild.
"Last year, we got some feedback from the students who were living there in Rice, and for the most part they enjoyed it. There are just some nuances with Rice Hall that, as it’s a bit older and dated, they wanted something new and refreshing,” Allard said. “They liked the community feel just want to upgrade the facilities. And as we looked at upgrading the facilities we realized, it’s not cost efficient.”
Some students, like YouTube user and former student Eb Preston, said that there were some issues with Rice Hall while she lived there.
"The ceiling's really gross. My original plan was to hang the tapestry from the ceiling, but [it’s] kinda gross, it was crumbling when I tried to put the nail in,” said Preston. “Right next to my dresser, I have my microwave which is too powerful to use for the electrical system that Rice has, so I have to unplug everything before I can use it."
Other students, such as Reflector commenter Katelyn, are sad to see the building go.
"I stayed at Rice my freshman year and I thought it was great,” Katelyn said. “Rice was and still does feel like home. If I had the chance, I would definitely stay at rice again."
Ailish Lynch, former resident assistant in Rice Hall, had issues as well but expressed satisfaction overall.
“All of the students I encountered at Rice, I had positive experiences with,” said Lynch. “Rice had a really good community, you know. Everyone left their doors open. I felt that people were very satisfied living there.”
Nonetheless, the good does not outweigh the bad, because in less than a year, the building will be leveled and ready for new construction. Allard says the new building we be used for new office spaces.