Bryce Griffis Residence Hall, the largest residence hall on campus, will be dedicated Saturday afternoon in the fourth floor forum room of Griffis Hall.
Speakers for the event include MSU President Robert “Doc” Foglesong, College Board member Ed Blakeslee, SA Vice President Lee Weiskopf and Student Affairs Vice President Bill Kibler.
Bryce Griffis Hall, a 115,000-square-foot, co-residential facility with private baths, wireless Internet in the rooms and lobbies, individual heating and air, is the most recent addition to the other residence halls on campus. More than 300 rooms house bunkable beds, and a lobby, kitchen and laundry room are located on every floor.
S. Bryce Griffis, the residence hall’s namesake, received a degree in business administration from Delta State University in 1954. He is a director of the Bulldog Club and the Bulldog Foundation. He was named Delta State’s Alumnus of the Year in 1986. Griffis is also the president of Sturgis Timber Company, having been in the lumber and timber business for 52 years. The 16 years that he served on the State College Board represents the second-longest term in the board’s history.
Bio-medical engineering major Andrew Diaz said that he has plenty of space because he is in a deluxe double room, but the students are spoiled because of it.
“They know if they need something they can go next door and the people there will be more than glad to help them out” Diaz said. “It makes the freshman more comfortable about moving away from home.”
Chemical Engineering major Chappell Ford said that the grades are important to the students and everyone has a common bond.
“I went home this weekend, and I love seeing my family, but it wasn’t home. I felt like I was a guest” Ford said. “Everyone is so open and we are all friends. I don’t think there is one person I can’t stand.”
“It was my responsibility to make sure that the building got built, we filled it with students, the university honors program got moved into it, and it got done,” Housing and Residence Life Director Ann Bailey said. “It a marvelous opportunity for Mississippi State University and we are glad the opportunity has come.”
Associate Dean of Students Thomas Bourgeois said, “Students enjoy living with the people they go to class with. Anytime you work at a university, you look for different ways to engage the student body both socially and academically” Bourgeois said. “Anytime you can upgrade the living environment for students, you add additional components to help them succeed academically and socially.”
The event precedes the MSU-Tulane football game, beginning at 11:00 a.m.