If you go to UNH, you’ve probably heard of Stoke Hall. And if you heard of Stoke Hall, you’ve probably heard of its infamous reputation for crazy parties, vandalism, and broken elevators. But how did Stoke Hall get this reputation? And what efforts have they put in to change their reputation for the better?
For a better understanding of Stoke Hall, let’s go to the beginning. On the UNH library website in the student resident section, you’ll find a brief introduction to the Hall’s history. Standing at 83 feet tall, Stoke was the University’s first “high-rise” structure. Designed by Leo Provost and dedicated in Nov. 1966, Stoke was originally a male-only residence hall. Stoke Hall is named for the former President of the university, Dr. Harold Walter Stoke. Today, Stoke Hall houses 500 students in their community, mainly consisting of first-year students.
Since its construction in 1966, Stoke Hall has certainly gained a reputation for itself. Just this year, back in September, over Labor Day weekend, the Residence Hall Director, Jack Maynard, sent out an email to all Stoke residents. The email regarded how Stoke was left in a poor condition over the long weekend and contained simple guidelines for the residents to follow. Take out your trash, respect bathrooms, monitor your guests, and report issues.
Despite Maynard's attempts, the residence hall saw little improvement with another email of the same vein being sent out by the Assistant Director of Resident Life, Stephen Rivard, just two weeks later. The email was concerned with vandalism on the second-floor men’s restroom, specifically the destruction of three sinks. A $500 Cat’s Cache award was sent out for anyone who had information on the suspect, but no one came forward. Just four days later, another email was sent out about the damage to a urinal and a hydration station on the fifth and sixth floors, leaving both features unusable. No one has claimed responsibility for these acts either.
A September full of vandalism wrapped up with two holes being put into a wall on the top floor of the building. While the wall has been repaired since, no one has claimed responsibility.
With that kind of reputation, people would ask themselves, ‘Why would I pick Stoke Hall?’ The Assistant Director, Stephen Rivard, had this to say, “Although students from all majors opt to live in the community, many business majors choose to live in Stoke due to its proximity to the Paul School across the street. Additionally, the building’s proximity to the dining hall, rec center, and Wildcatessen makes it an ideal place to live. Students also choose to live in Stoke because of its active community. The building’s large population makes it easy for residents to meet new people, build connections, and make friends. This is one of Stoke Hall’s strongest attributes.”
When asked about Stoke’s reputation and how it could improve, the Assistant Director, Stephen Rivard, had nothing negative to say and praised the housing team. “The Stoke community also has its challenges, namely intentional damage and vandalism to our common spaces. This is something we’ve been working to curb the last few years through various initiatives and planning. Although we’ve made some good progress, there is still work to be done to stop this from happening in the community. Luckily, we have great hall staff and community members dedicated to making Stoke Hall a great place to live.”
“The Department of Housing has invested a lot of resources into Stoke Hall over the last few years to improve the building’s public spaces. This includes renovating the large main lounges on the 1st and 5th floors with new carpet, paint, and furniture, as well as replacing the hallway carpet on each floor. These have helped improve the look of the community and have provided residents with nice spaces to hang out and study… I don’t have any numbers or statistics I can share with you. However, I will share anecdotally that things have improved. Over the last three years, we’ve adjusted our approach to focus more on community building and improving the resident experience. Although there is still work to be done, we’ve made some good progress. This is mostly due to the hard work of our live-in staff and our partners in housing,” Rivard continued.
The residents and former residents have their own opinions. Halley Pierson, an upperclassman at UNH who lived at Stoke her freshman year, was put into Stoke by default. When asked about her experience at Stoke and if she would return, she answered, “Stoke is the reason I made so many friends my first year, especially being from another state, the RA’s socials were really fun… I have great memory of painting my RA’s head for a social, I loved walking ten feet over to wild kitty in my PJs in the middle of winter to grab chicken tenders or a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, I loved the ability to make friends anytime of the day there were always people around…if I had the option I would go back again, maybe with some noise-cancelling headphones. I loved how easy it was to make friends, and the ridiculous things that would happen in that dorm would make me laugh.” An experience that shows the highlights at Stoke Hall.
Despite the vandalism, destruction, and all the other stories that students of UNH hear, many people do enjoy Stoke Hall. After all, many students do return, and those who have not returned wish they did. The large community, location, and the efforts that have been put into making Stoke Hall better in regard to reputation and wellness have left a fair impression on residents. Despite all the faults in Stoke Hall, it's the strengths that shine brighter.
