There’s no place like home, but you will not have to click your heels anymore, because dorm life just got a lot better. Starting next year, Sorin Residence Hall will be introducing a new line of furniture called Evolve from Hamline’s current furniture provider, RT London.

The decision for this change was decided when Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life Javier Gutierrez was at a conference.

“There were a lot of different vendors but RT London has modular furniture that doesn’t need bed pins or furniture pegs,” Gutierrez said. “That is our biggest headache right now because we do not have enough. Also for safety reasons if they are not put in correctly, they could fall.”

The headache of bed pins and furniture pegs will be a thing of the past as the Evolve collection features latchable furniture. All residential halls will be moving to the new Evolve line of furniture, but Sorin will be making the change first as its furniture is the oldest.

“The work surface can be attached to the bed to become a desk and if you do not want that then you can attach it higher and it becomes another hanging space for clothes,” Gutierrez said. “The other thing we are doing with Sorin is the built in furniture, we are removing the closet doors to make a more open space.”

In addition to removing the closet doors, the new line of furniture will also help fix one of the primary complaints of students, that the Sorin rooms lack open space as the furniture is much easier to move around and alter.

“There is a lot of unnecessary furniture so I rearranged my room and put furniture in the closet so there is more of an open space,” first-year and Sorin resident Kuruwel Negash said. “I like how the [new design] has more than one piece of furniture so it is easier to rearrange.”

Since it is easier to store furniture that is not in use, converting a double or triple room into a single will be a breeze and it will no longer feel like you are living in a storage room.

“The new furniture looks a lot better,” first-year and Sorin resident Whitney Gaffney said. “I like the modern look of the new furniture.”

While a lot of changes have been made to Sorin, there is still another big change.

“Sorin has been an all first-year community, but this year we aren’t putting any restrictions on it,” Gutierrez said. “If a student really loves living in Sorin and chooses to live there again with their friends, they can.”

This offers students like Negash and Gaffney that are excited about the new line of furniture to try it out next year for themselves. Gutierrez believes that the new furniture will not entice upperclassmen away from the apartments with the luxuries of having their own rooms and kitchens, but it will be a hotspot for underclassmen with the close proximity to the bookstore,  Sorin lounge and Safety and Security.

“With the furniture and the changes that we make is always based off student feedback,” Gutierrez said. “Whenever I sent out surveys, I really do look through each one and take their feedback. The feedback is always appreciated.”

If students wish to look at the new furniture, which will be in Sorin next year, they can look at rtlondon.com/products/evolve?parent=/room-solutions for more information and visuals.