Residents of Hilltopper Hall shared their opinions while moving out this weekend, with the move out deadline on Feb. 4.

The 388 Hilltopper Hall residents were told on Jan. 18 that they had to move out of the hall due to shifts in the masonry on the building and necessary further investigation.

Sophomore Collin Emmert competes on the WKU Track and Field team and is an exercise science major with a minor in psychology. For Emmert, the most challenging part of the experience was finding a new place to live. 

WKU Housing and Residence Life let Hilltopper Hall residents choose between moving to a different dormitory on campus or finding housing off campus. 

Emmert said he decided to move off campus and live in an apartment. He said he had only lived at Hilltopper Hall for three weeks before he received the notice to leave, so it has not been “the most pleasant experience for him,” but also “not the end of the world,” as he said he is excited to have his own room.  

Emily Wollschlaeger, sophomore hospitality management major, is planning to move into an apartment off campus, too.

“Trying to find somewhere to live in a short amount of time [was difficult],” Wollschlaeger said.

However, Wollshlaeger was thankful to be moving into an apartment sooner than she thought and was excited to have more space to herself. 

Ally Duraney, sophomore health sciences major, had a similar experience.

“I’m excited for more independence and to live off campus. It feels more like the real world instead of just a dorm,” Duraney said.

At the same time, Duraney found the move difficult to manage along with general packing and schoolwork. 

Junior Jaclyn Holbrooks majors in biology with a minor in chemistry. She said her experience moving out and finding a new place to live has been “a little inconvenient.” 

Being a STEM major, Holbrooks said she spends a lot of time going to class and studying for exams, so the timing of the notice from HRL was unfortunate. 

Holbrooks said she decided to remain on campus and move to a different dormitory because “it was hard to find a not super expensive apartment off campus.” She was not excited about the move. 

“I liked Hilltopper a lot, it was my favorite,” Holbrooks said. 

News reporter Kaylee Hawkins can be reached at [email protected]

News reporter Mariia Novoselia can be reached at [email protected]