HOVA, Housing, Huh?

The Hall on Virginia Avenue, known to GW students as HOVA, was taken out of our undergraduate lives in 2006. We may pass it on Friday nights on the way to Georgetown and reminisce. But on the whole, it has been removed from our world. The shuttle doesn’t even stop there anymore. And yet, HOVA is still in the buzz around campus.

Just a few years back, Foggy Bottom freshman vied for HOVA. Now, graduate students live in it but don’t necessarily want to. Last February, housing decided to raise prices in HOVA to $900 a month. However, with no kitchens and expensive parking, it isn’t the most appealing option for most grad students. Now, current students are
complaining about the building, citing a multitude of problems. The reality is that it isn’t just HOVA where paint is peeling off the walls and the elevators are malfunctioning – it’s Crawford, Schenley, Thurston, Munson, Fulbright, and Madison (just from personal experience). I’m sensing one big bad bully as the common denominator here: GW Housing.

In response to resident concerns, Director of GW Housing Employment Matt Trainum said they will soon be implementing house mentors in the hall to increase communication with students.
GW Hatchet

And isn’t that exactly how we imagine the problems to be fixed? Just throw Percy Weasly in there and everything will be fine. I don’t mean to rant but we don’t really hear anything like “Student stops in front of Residence Hall in awe of its beauty” or “Students gather to commend housing on a job well done.” Instead we have stories titled “Bats fly into Guthridge and HOVA.”

Could it be that housing’s good deeds are overshadowed by its many shortcomings? That a privileged and ungrateful student body just isn’t as appreciative as it should be? That housing honestly isn’t something to marvel over? Could it be that the media only finds it interesting to report the negative? What we do know is that the general sentiment when walking by HOVA is “Oh what could have been.” For me, walking by HOVA is just another reminder of the potential that this university has. Potential that just isn't being taken advantage of.