Over the past two years, the Pavilions have developed a storied past. During the 2017-2018 school year, St. Edward’s students who had been promised the previous semester that the Pavilions would be finished on time, had to be relocated to surrounding hotels for the school year when it was announced that more time would be needed to complete the building’s construction. 

When the Pavilions were opened last fall, many students complained about the quality of the construction. On Nov. 1, 2018, the dorm was evacuated after a pipe burst on the third floor of the building. This year, after months of repairs and renovation, the Pavilions have officially reopened for the third time.

The University has assured students that the Pavilions are a perfectly-safe living space. Vice President of Student Affairs, Lisa Kirkpatrick, said she acknowledges that students have perfectly valid reasons for being concerned about living in the Pavilions.

“We know that in order for students to have confidence in their living situation, repairs had to be made with quality assurance and regular inspections by experts in the field. The restoration process was scrutinized at the highest level and we are confident about the integrity of the building,” Kirkpatrick said. 

“Additionally, we’ve assembled a strong team in Residence Life to help build community and camaraderie with all Pavilions residents. The Residence Life staff is committed to making this the best experience possible for all students living in any of our residence halls.” 

Student Andrew Jusbache said that he originally signed up to live in the Pavilions because he wanted his own space on campus and the Pavilions offered a good-quality room that he was satisfied with.

“Pavilions is a great place to live because you have your own space and you can share with other people, but you can also be in your own space and you don’t have to mingle,” he said.

Former Pavilions Residence Assistant and St. Edward’s alumni Cristelle Meza says she thought that the University handled the situation the best that it could and that they have an excellent staff trained for this year. 

“With Jacie Minnick as the Pavilions Residence Director and the whole new RA team, I feel confident that they’re going to do great in building community this year. And as long as there’s no other huge accident, I think that their hard work and determination will definitely show and, hopefully, the Pavilions will one day have a positive image,” Meza said.