As undergraduates nervously waited for results of Northeastern s housing lottery, the groundbreaking for the West Campus residence hall Tuesday afternooon brought new hope to students.
Some students see the new hall as a way for undergrads to feel at home living on campus.
Students need to feel comfortable outside of the classroom in order to perform well inside the classroom, said Student Government Association President Stacey Archfield. In addition to reducing the housing crunch, speakers at the ceremony said they believe the new residence hall will draw together the community. Thomas O Brien, director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, said the new hall is an investment in the intellectual capital of the city, an important part of what the BRA has been planning for the city. This is a project that achieved a lot of community support, O Brien said. He commended Northeastern President Richard Freeland for recognizing that the university is responsible to the community, and said the lack of housing in the area was a factor in the city s quick approval of the plan.