By Natalie St. Denis
Kent Hall residents returned to their dorms at the start of the Spring semester to find a microfridge in each room. These were originally planned to be distributed to students in August, but it was delayed due to the pandemic.
These microfridges are equipped with a fridge, freezer, and microwave. Kent Hall is a suite-style building. But regardless, each room in the suite got its own microfridge. If a student already had a minifridge, they were given the opportunity to move it into the basement storage facility.
Graduate Assistant, Muhammad Zeeshan, who lives in the Community Director apartment of Kent Hall, assisted in distributing the microfridges. This process was challenging at times because of the limited number of hands they could have helping move in the microfridges in regards to social distancing.
When Kent Hall reopened after its renovation, it was specifically designated for upperclassmen.
The microfridges served as “a way for them to manage their items more and as a next step in their life,” Zeeshan said.
Community Advocate of Kent Hall and Graduate student, Tryphena Ouaicoe, was happy to receive the microfridge.
“It definitely makes you feel like you’re in your own apartment, you have your own space,” said Quaicoe. “It gives you a sense of responsibility.”
Quaicoe also mentioned that the microfridges were convenient, especially during COVID to reduce traffic in common areas such as the main longue.
Although the concern of a fire-hazard was raised. But each microfridge was power-socketed from one output. So when the microwave was being used, the refrigerator’s power supply would decrease until the microwave was done being used.
SUNY Plattsburgh alumna Emma Vallelunga was a previous Kent Hall resident and claims she “was no stranger to the microwave” when she attended Plattsburgh.
Vallelunga graduated in December and just missed out on the opportunity to own a microfridge. “For me, it was kind of just a feeling of FOMO,” said Vallelunga.
Like Quaicoe, Vallelunga sees the potential of the microfridges limiting the spread of COVID among residents. She expressed that last semester and the semester before, students may have not felt safe to leave their dorm so the microfridge could have helped with that. Vallelunga expressed that if the number of students testing positive for COVID-19 was shown to be lower in Kent Hall, the school might be more inclined to supply other residence buildings with microfridge units.
Email Natalie St. Denis at cp@cardinalpointonline.com
