Omega “still a family” even after sudden move across campus

By Hailey Hensley

In November 2019, just a few days before freshman acting and dancing double major Josiah Jacoby departed for Thanksgiving break, he and every other resident of Omega House received an email stating that they were to be moved from their residence hall before the semester came to a close.

The majority of Omega residents for the fall 2019 semester were freshman students in the College of Fine and Performing Arts. The building had been allocated as part of the Living Learning Community specifically for students in that college.

Students faced the move with immense confusion and concern, as the move was scheduled to occur during finals week.

The students had previously been told by university administrators that they would not have to move and that scheduled renovations would occur during the summer of 2020.

The Rider News previously published an article that discussed the situation as it evolved and shortly after the publication of that article in December 2019, all Omega residents were moved to Poyda Hall for the remainder of the fall semester.

“I moved into Poyda [Hall] at the end of the fall semester and then I moved again [to Lake House] on move-in day for the spring semester. I requested to be put in Lake House since I knew a spot was opening up,” said Jacoby. “They [Residence Life] made me move to Poyda first because they said they weren’t sure if a spot would be open in Lake [House].

Jacoby clarified that the majority of former Omega residents were placed in Poyda Hall and stayed there without requesting a move to any other residence hall. He emphasized that the university worked with the students and strived to accommodate their various requests when it came to housing.

“Overall, it does suck what happened to us [former Omega residents] but they [the university] did really try to help us. They didn’t completely abandon us, which I really did think when I first found out [about the move],” said he stated. “They helped us move and then they worked with a lot of us to get us where we really wanted to go.”

The former Omega House community assistant junior musical theatre major Tessa Douglas was moved to Lake House, the other residence hall associated with the Fine and Performing Arts Living Learning Community.

“While I am very sad to have left Omega, I’m glad that I was moved to a similar community in Lake House. I am really excited that a few of my former Omega House residents moved over to Lake House with me.”

Douglas made it incredibly clear that despite their new locations, she still felt very close to all of her residents, both current and former. Douglas stated that she still tries to keep in contact with them whenever possible.

“While I don’t get to see my Omega [House] residents every day, I do enjoy seeing them around campus and catching up with them,” Douglas said. “I still have this beautiful relationship with them and we’re still a family, just a family who has a little more space now.”