The dorms at Jones provide more than a roof and bed to students. They offer community and independence while preparing for the next chapter of life.
There are many dorm activities held throughout the school year. One such event is the three movie nights hosted out on the practice field where students laid out blankets and pillows and enjoyed drinks and snacks. As simple as the event seems, there is much that goes on behind the scenes. Both the dean of men and the dean of women work to figure out what college students like and how to execute it.
“I talk to the cafeteria to coordinate about snacks and see what all we can serve. We also talk to IT if we end up needing help with the screens,” said Dean of Women Simone McKinney.
Some students are hesitant to live on campus. Most of those in the dorms are fresh out of high school, so oftentimes they are nervous.
“If you want the campus experience and you want to try to figure out how it is to live alone, Jones is a great place to do that,” said McKinney.
“Jones is family,” said Dean of Men Coach Kwesi Drake. “I’ve been here almost eight years, and the first time I stepped foot on this campus it just felt right. I think Jones can give you that step in growing more independent.”
The deans’ job revolves around the students’ welfare both in and out of the classroom. Their main job is to make sure that each student has the correct number of hours to qualify for the dorms.
“We all work together,” said Dean of Students, Sarah Ishee. “I truly care about the students, and I want to help them succeed here and set them up for life.”
Since first coming to Jones, sophomore Tanner Guthrie has lived on campus. He stayed in Greene Hall his first year and is now in Jasper Hall.
“I like being close to my classes and so close to my job, ” said Guthrie. “The rooms are definitely spacious and in a very good location as well. The college itself is in a great location. It’s close to Laurel and Hattiesburg, so there’s always something to do either on campus or in the surrounding cities.”
However, some students are perfectly fine with driving to school everyday. Freshman Kevin Giovanni is one such student.
“I’m comfortable where I live,” said Giovanni. “It’s only a 20 minute drive, and I look forward to saving money before I transfer to USM. Not to mention, I appreciate my personal space.”
Psychology major Natalie Evans is a resident’s assistant in Anderson Hall. This is her first year living on campus but her second year attending Jones.
“I wanted to dorm this year, so I could get more familiar with campus,” said Evans. “It’s been very fulfilling to be an RA and getting to know people. I’ve got to build relationships with people that otherwise would not have happened.”
There are seven dormitories on campus with a total of 750 beds. The oldest dorms on campus, built in 1960, are The Legacies: Jasper, Clarke, Covington, and Greene Hall. Some students also refer to them as “the coops” as the four buildings are bunched together. Each bedroom in the coops comes with a bathroom and two sinks.
The majority of the male athletes reside in Smith Hall. There are three bedrooms in each suite that come with two bathrooms and sinks.
There are two female dorms, Anderson and Wayne Hall. In Wayne, the suites consist of three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Anderson’s rooms feature both two bedroom suites as well as three bedrooms. There are 25 total resident assistants working for all seven dorms to help their peers with day-to-day life.
by Caitlynn Brady
