· DORM REVIEWS · merrill hall (est. 1932, 2024)

By  MARYN BOWMAN, JOANIE MENG, HENRY WISE, JESNA VERNET, and JULIA ZHOU

Each dorm at Exeter has its own unique traditions, running jokes, and legends, thanks to the centuries of history since their construction. Each dorm comes with a personality - an image that pops up when you think of it and the people it inhabits. But what if you live in a new dorm?

Recently, there have been many new dorm additions to campus, and each has been on the path of solidifying its identity as a dorm. One of these is the Merrill: a girl’s dorm that has just been once-again filled with residents after a year of renovation.

Every member of their respective dorm fully believes their dorm is the best dorm on campus. Although new to the title of  “Merrillite,” senior Meishu Han fully shares this sentiment: “I think Merrill is the best dorm on campus and if you’re contemplating moving to Merrill, you definitely should.”

When asked why she likes Merrill, Lower Charlotte Godfrey said, “I was able to make quick friends with everyone in the dorm. When I was waiting for my ride to pick me up just last night, people came down to the common room to do their homework, ask questions, or to just have a conversation.”

Han also considers the dorm’s communal spaces one of the best parts about it: “In the dorm, we spend a lot of time in the common room: doing homework, making lots of cookies, and cooking… Small things like that really bring the dorm together, and we just spend a lot of time together, which I really, really love.”

Merrill may not be a new dorm, but due to renovations, the entirety of its old residents were moved out. This fall, many of the returning students, although also brand new to the dorm, are playing a huge role in creating this warm environment. Nova “Doc” Seals, Merrill’s dorm head, praised the proctors for their hard work: “This year’s proctors came in wanting to establish a supportive dorm community and they are doing a great job—from planning a fun Academy Life Day to gently reminding the dorm residents to clean up after themselves and take care of the dorm—the proctors, and other seniors in the dorm, are being great examples of citizenship.”

Its dorm community isn’t the only new aspect of Merrill Hall. Everything in Merrill is new, given the fact that renovations have just recently been concluded. Some Merrill residents have mixed opinions on the current state of Merrill’s utilities. Upper Avery Im reflected, “The facilities are, in my opinion, a huge upgrade from some of the older dorms on campus… [However,] It is a bit inconvenient because the dorm isn’t completely furnished, so we’re still waiting on a lot of basic necessities like a microwave, television, doorstops, drinking water, etc.”

The renovations, though brand new, are not yet fully complete. Just as Langdellians were relocated to Hampton Inn until recently as final touches were added to Langdell next door, Merrill is still missing some amenities.

Seals is hard at work, working with various departments on campus to “keep up with all of the minor issues [they] are finding.” Despite her experience boarding on campuses, moving into a newly-renovated dorm has been a very new ordeal that’s posed its own challenges.

“PEA is my third boarding school and Merrill is the sixth dormitory I have lived in—it is also the newest (or most recently renovated),” Seals said. “The thing that most surprises me is how much residents take for granted—what I mean to say is, simple things like drinking water and furniture—things that we take for granted as just being there, but when a dorm is repopulated after being taken off line for one to two years, or for major renovation, it takes time to get in the resources that make living in a space amenable.”

The construction of Wetherell, the neighboring dining hall, is also ongoing. Some Merrill residents mentioned the noisiness of the construction late at night and early in the morning. Lower Josie Hilbert said, “As for the construction? I’m really not trying to rush anyone, but if they could be done by the end of November, that would be so incredibly amazing, because I’m tired of having to trek all the way to Elm every morning to get my food and I’m tired of having to trek back after dinner. I would much rather just have one right here, and also the Elm lines are crazy. So please, please, please get that construction done.”

Being a new dorm, there always could be a chance of complications, students not enjoying the dorm, its community, or its facilities. When making those combinations, you never really know what you’re going to get, but for the members of Merrill Hall, they got a great dorm, and an even greater community.