Last year, Hodgins Retreat earned a notorious reputation as the place to go for those looking to party hard.”Last year it was a little bit of an ‘Animal House’ over there, and we wanted to have more control over what was happening in our back yard,” said Associate Dean for Campus Life Jennifer Agor in an e-mail interview.

The problems went beyond Hodgins and began to affect Guilford students on-campus.

“Not only were there a lot of problems with noise ordinances off-campus, but a lot of people in English were complaining,” said senior Justin Shreve, a resident advisor in Hodgins. “If the police got involved, the parties would always come back on-campus and cause a lot of trouble for us.”

“I haven’t personally seen any change in the nature of incidences (in Hodgins),” said Meg Evans, the hall director for Hodgins. Agor confirmed Evan’s sentiment, but added that the rate of incidences has changed.

“Last year (the incidences) were noise, drinking, and vandalism mostly, but I believe that the incidences of the Greensboro Police Department being called to the property have dropped,” said Agor in an e-mail interview. “This year we have seen some noise complaints, but nothing like last year.”

Last school year, from Aug. 1 up to Mar. 19, police were dispatched to Hodgins 27 times.

This is the first year Hodgins has been leased by Guilford College. The complex has been leased for three years, primarily to provide more on-campus housing for the growing student population and to provide a middle-ground price point to diversify housing offerings, according to Agor.

“Since we’ve been here, we’ve noticed a difference,” said Shreve. “There’s nobody hanging around late, and parties typically don’t happen that often anymore. I think the scene has quieted down a little bit.”

In fact, now some Hodgins residents are disturbed by activities on other parts of campus, rather than the other way around.
“I like watching the sports teams, but the crowds that come along with the football games can be really rowdy sometimes,” said senior Zoe Sasson.

Maintenance has also been an issue since the transition.

“One of the main challenges is keeping up with maintenance needs,” said Director of Residence Life Susanna Westberg. “Because the college is leasing the apartments, the maintenance is still handled by the managing company, not the Guilford College Facilities Department, so we’ve had to make some adjustments in our processes and communication.”

“Also, because the previous year’s tenants’ leases didn’t end until the end of July and students returned mid-August, there were still some maintenance issues to be addressed when they moved in,” said Westberg.

Overall, bringing the housing complex under Guilford’s jurisdiction seems to have brought more tranquility to residents and staff alike. The noise problems are not as frequent, and Hodgins parties are rarely heard at English Hall anymore. Some students still miss the party scene that Hodgins once supported, though.

“This place used to be kind of the party central last year, now, not so much,” said senior Ethan Hess. “The place is kind of flimsy, but otherwise, I don’t have many complaints.”

Still others wish Hodgins had a different ambiance.

“I wish it was more like the old apartments, where it feels more like a community,” said senior Claire Norwood, who lives off-campus but visits friends at Hodgins on weekends.

Despite the rough spots, many people seem to feel good about the transition.

“It’s peaceful back here, and in a really good location,” said Sasson. “I love having space, the kitchen, and I love living with my friends.”

“I’d like to thank all the residents of Hodgins for making this a smooth transition,” said Shreve. “I think Hodgins is a great place; a good distance from campus so it doesn’t have that on-campus feeling all the time. Its name speaks for itself: it’s a retreat.