GFU Hosts First Housing Preview Night

Reported by Danielle Brown

On March  5, George Fox University (GFU) held its first ever Housing Preview Night. Students toured various residence halls and on-campus apartments and houses in preparation for Housing Selection the following week. Prizes, such as succulents and tumblers, were also handed out to the lucky few of who filled out a bingo card.

For sophomore students Sarah Storton and Annika Locke, the Housing Preview Night gave them confidence going into the housing selection process. Searching for a new living space isn’t easy and they didn’t feel comfortable choosing a home purely based on the school’s housing website. They wanted to make sure that their new on-campus apartment would feel like home for the following school year, but too many options competed for the top of their list.

Housing Preview Night gave them the opportunity to physically visit the living spaces and imagine themselves in each apartment, giving them confidence and peace of mind. By the time they visited the last of their available options, they knew exactly where they wanted to live.

“It was a cool thing,” Locke said at the end of the night, one she hopes will be a continued event at GFU.

The Housing Preview Night also gave students a sneak peek at the plans for the new residence hall available for occupancy in the fall, Newlin Hall. The new residence hall features a kitchen and individual living spaces on every floor for men and women. It will also have a large study room and community kitchen on the first floor. The plan for Newlin Hall is to essentially take the best aspects of every residence hall on campus and put them into one building.