Finishing the first year in 'New Mills'

Newly renovated hall sees progress, fellowship

Jennifer Pondelicek
staff writer

In an article published in the September issue of the Decaturian, senior Dan Chik, a Mills Hall Resident Assistant, stated, “This year is a challenge for Mills. We have a chance to start afresh.” Eight months later, Mills residents have made significant progress to dispel what Chik originally described as being the “smelly, all jock” stereotype.

“The year has been very positive—the most positive year I’ve seen at Mills, and I’ve been here for four years,” Chik said. “We’ve developed a good community, there isn’t nearly as much vandalism as there has been in past years. The number of overall problems in the hall has decreased. Some say that’s all related to lower enrollment, but I really think it has to do with the renovations and the new attitude we’ve been fostering among our residents. Do I think it’s where it needs to be? No. But it’s definitely on its way.”

Freshman resident Will LaMar agrees with Chik.

“You can see a significant difference between Mills from last year and how it is this year,” LaMar said. “The people are cleaner, and they care more.

The $300,000 renovations made to the hall last summer, which included new carpet in all the rooms, new ceiling lights, new base boarding, blinds to replace the old curtains, and newly remodeled wardrobes, have been enjoyed by the residents.

“I have to say that the renovations have been wonderful. The new wardrobes, the lights, they’re just fantastic. Everything is so spacious in these rooms now. The old wardrobes and other items took up a lot of space and were a really unattractive color. The new furniture looks good and is highly functional. It’s a really economic use of space they’ve created in here. The residents are always talking positively about their rooms, especially when the beds are bunked.”

The renovations were not the only changes going on inside Mills Hall; in fact, they were the catalyst for other, bigger changes. Using the motto “New Mills, New Men, New Attitude,” residents have been making changes throughout the school year in the campus’ perception of the hall and those who live there. Chik said, “The biggest problem Mills faces is its past image: the Mills of the Bun Run, the 24-hour craziness, the loud, dirty men’s residence hall no one wanted to visit. The new Mills is not that. There was no Bun Run put on by the Mills RAs this year. A small group of men put one of their own on, but I wouldn’t even consider it a Bun Run. The guys who ran were covered up, for the most part, and there wasn’t the same spectacle as there has been before. We’ve made progress, and if we take [Mills] to what we want it to be it will be the premier hall on campus.”

Only time will help make Mills the “hall [that] allows young men to grow up and experience college.” Four years ago, to experience Mills was to experience “the bare minimum,” according to the September issue of the Decaturian.

So, what is the Mills Experience like today?

“It’s a unique experience,” Chik said. “I wish I could have all MU men experience Mills as freshmen. You create bonds in here that last a lifetime. I know guys who still live together in the Woods, and we still talk about the great times we had in Mills. It’s really fun to walk around campus and see men, and think, “hey, that’s a Mills guy. It’s an initiation into MU.”

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