Methodist College Newspaper
WWW. smalltalkmc. com
Fayetteville, NC
Established 1961
Volume 44,Issue 10
Students Pine for new Pines
Photos by Will Montoya
SARAH DAVENPORT
Staff Writer
Above: The 45 year old Pines Apartments pictured from the outside. Left: one
of the finger print door decoders hanging on the paint chipped outer wall.
For 45 year old apartments
The Pines Apartments
have been around for 45 years and
students are beginning to feel the
effects.
Students living in the Pines
have been complaining about the
water and not having a common
area or vending machines.
The Pines were originally
built in 1960 and were the original
residential dorms for Methodist
College prior to the building of
Cumberland, Garber, Sanford and
Weaver. Those four dorms were
completed in the spring of 1963
and were inhabited by students
in the fall. When students first
moved out of the Pines, it became
housing for faculty, staff and
married students. Gene Clayton,
vice president of business affairs,
was one of the staff members that
lived there. “When the students
moved out, the front two build
ings became offices while the back
buildings were never anything but
residences,” Clayton stated.
The Pines have come a
long way from where they started.
“When the Pines were re-opened
to students, they were called
Honor Hall. Students had to have
a high GPA to live there,” Clayton
commented. Eventually the Pines
served as the apartment option
until Cape Fear Commons 1 and
2 were built, at which time they
became the second choice.
Over time, many improve
ments have been made to the Pines
to make them as user friendly and
up-to-date as possible. Methodist
now runs a network cable provid
ing direct computer and telephone
hook-ups. They have also main
tained the apartments, landscaped
the land, created parking, replaced
the main line for the water and
upgraded the bathrooms and show
ers.
they are in good condition, but
some students have lately made
complaints about the water and ac
commodations that the Pines don’t
offer to the students. “I don’t have
a problem with the living area
[in the Pines] because I like my
roommates but I have noticed that
the hot water is kind of grey and
comes out in chunks. Sometimes
the finger print locks work and
sometimes they don’t. Overall, I
enjoy myself in the Pines,” com
mented Jamie Davis, a current
resident. Another complaint about
the Pines is that they are the only
residences that do not have vend
ing machines and a common area.
When asked. Gene Clayton com
mented, “There are no plans that
1 know of to build a common area
for the Pines. The long term plan
is to phase out the Pines and build
new housing.”
The main complaint, of
Above: The warn roof trimming on
the left side of the Pines apartment
course, is the water. TJ Johnson,
president of SGA, said that he
loves living in the Pines but that
the water is terrible. “I have got
ten sick from the water,” Johnson
commented. His solution to the
water problem would be to buy
free-standing water coolers. You
could put a cooler in every apart
ment for roughly $ 150 a month. It
costs $15 for a five gallon jug. It
would be easier than replacing the
pipes and would fix the problem
now.” Putting a cooler in every
apartment would be the best solu
tion due to the fact that they are
not planning on keeping the Pines
long term.
As a last thought, Mr. John
son said, “Everyone should experi
ence living in the Pines. If Dean
Blanc or Williams or President
Hendricks would like to spend a
weekend in the Pines to see how
students live, I offer my apartment
and time to them.”