Since its completion in 1967, Long Hall has housed many students. When it is demolished next year its secrets will disappear with the ruble, but some will remain forever in the hearts of its past residents. Long, which houses the majority of the University’s male freshmen, is the closest residence hall to campus and when demolished will become a green space, Mike Davis, vice president of administration said.
This eight-story building currently holds the record for being tallest building in Thibodaux, and after demolition Ellender Hall will hold the record with six stories, according to the University’s Web site.
Long Hall is the only residence hall besides Millet and Zeringue Halls to have community bathrooms on each floor.
The new residence halls, along with remaining older halls, will be equipped with more private bathrooms two to four residents will share.
False alarms have been nothing new to residence life on campus and Long Hall has been evacuated several times in its history.
In his book, “The Ayo Years” Alfred Delahaye, professor emeritus of mass communication wrote, Long was evacuated after a resident assistant received an anonymous telephone call to report a bomb in the building.
“Understandably, residents were annoyed at having to stand outside for an hour,” according to Delahaye. “Especially since false fire alarms had caused two previous evacuations.”
Campus panty raids were popular in the residence hall’s early life and re-emerged on Nov. 1987 when 50 male residents of Long gathered undergarments under the windows of Ellender Hall, a female residence hall.
According to “The Ayo Years,” the first undergarment was tossed to Jason Baquet of Baker, who had collected six.
The raid continued throughout campus to North Babington Hall, another female residence hall.
“It was funny to see all that commotion,” Alex Alaniz of Marrero said.
In its more recent history, students have had problems with Long Hall’s infamous elevator.
Alexander Pierre, a freshman from New Orleans, fell down the elevator shaft on Long Hall at 9 p.m. Nov. 10, 1992 and survived the five-story fall.
“When the doors opened for the fifth-floor resident to step onto the hall, the elevator was between floors,” Delahaye writes. “Pierre slipped under, suffering injuries that included cuts and a fractured jawbone.”
Long hall will remain in use for male residents through Spring 2008, according to the University Web site.
