Before and after: President Roger Hughes is joined by community members, staff, faculty and students to commemorate the official opening of New Hall.
New Hall officially celebrated its opening with a community-invited ribbon-cutting event held on Feb. 5 at noon.
The event featured a range of speakers including Doane President Roger Hughes, Director of Residential Life and Education Brian Stutz, Director of Architecture and Senior Principal at Clark and Enersen Jeff Chadwich and Crete Mayor Dave Bauer. In addition to these notable figures in the Crete community, two students were also invited to speak.
Junior and Community Advisor (CA) of New Hall Rowan Jolkowski and junior Agdaly Sanchez who is a resident of New Hall shared what this big day means to them and Doane.
In addition to the speeches, the event also featured an opportunity for the community to see the New Hall if they have not already.
To launch off the celebration Stutz, Hughes and Chadwich shared how New Hall came to be and all that it offers.
In the creation of building the New Hall, it took the tearing down of two residence halls known as Colonial and Burge. The first meeting about this hall occurred two years ago to establish what the building should be. This meeting included all facets of the Doane community to get multiple perspectives.
There was a goal to bring some of the beauty of the campus into this new residence hall, especially considering that Doane is an arboretum. Everything from the windows to the carpet was done intentionally. In the meetings prior to building this hall, students reported wanting their own space but also wanting a community. From that, the current floor plan was designed.
“We really strive for community here. That’s one of my biggest pushes, community across campus and this is a great building to do that,” Stutz said.
These community spaces are important to so many students because it is where they foster connections. Each floor of New Hall has community spaces, study rooms and more.
“I’ve known my neighbors in every building I’ve lived in and I’ve known them because of the community spaces in every res hall,” Jolkowski said.
After the speeches, the Crete Council of Commerce gathered to hold the ribbon while President Hughes cut the ribbon.
This occasion celebrated that the designs came to life and students now have this new space to call home.
“I strongly believe that this new building will provide the room and the areas to create even more memories for the students that are coming here now,” Chadwick said.