The University of Maryland (UM) has finally opened its new state-of-the-art facility designed to accommodate students who choose to live on campus this fall semester.
The 131,000 square-foot building, named in honor of Pyon Su and Chunjen Chen, features single and double rooms that can accommodate around 450 students.
In addition to having air-conditioned rooms, the building has a central lounge space, private study rooms, private unisex bathrooms, a multipurpose room, a building kitchen, and a 24-hour laundry facility.
Each room also has a twin-sized bed, personal open closet, desk and chair, 4-drawer dressers, and luxury vinyl flooring. Students can also use the installed data jacks for private telephones and computers.
According to the university website, the facility will have enough staff to assist students with various needs. They will be responsible for the building’s 24-hour service desk, which is the central location for obtaining extra keys, picking up mail, and making other service-related requests.
Students Express Excitement
Freshman mechanical engineering major Alex Wang said that he prefers to live in the new facility instead of the dorms where his friends are staying. He mentioned the air conditioning and private bathrooms as things he enjoys most in Pyon-Chen Hall.
“I don’t instantly start sweating when I walk into my room,” he told UM independent student newspaper The Diamondback.
Another freshman, psychology major Trey Herman, also claims that the private restrooms are the best features of the new dorm. “I will say, my friend who lives in Ellicott is jealous of our bathrooms,” he remarked.
In 2022, UM will open its second state-of-the-art on-campus housing facility, which will feature a 70,000 square-foot dining hall.