Published: 09/16/2022
Members of the Gannon and Erie community came together to officially dedicate South Hall today.
Today marks the official dedication of Gannon University’s newest student residence, South Hall. The $11 million dollar facility opened to residents on Aug. 19.
See more photos from today's celebration here.
The event showcased the new facility, offered a blessing of the space by Bishop Lawrence T. Persico, J.C.L., and featured speeches from the university by President Keith Taylor, Ph.D.; Provost and Vice President for Student Experience Walter Iwanenko, Ph.D.; student and residence assistant Ella Hammer; University Chaplain Father Michael Kesicki; and Dean of Student Development and Engagement Paul Perrine.
“South Hall was designed to accommodate Gannon’s growing student body and provide a very thoughtfully designed and welcoming place that they can call home,” Taylor said.
The Gannon family’s newest residence hall boasts four floors of single- and multi-student suites. The hall’s 95 residents experience private bedrooms and bathrooms as well as shared living spaces.
View more: go inside South Hall and take a look around.
Ella Hammer, a student-athlete and RA, said: “This is ideal, and this is what we want to provide for our residents and for our students. The possibility to form community. It is really nice to know that Gannon cares for its students and wants to invest in their living and comfort.”
South Hall offers practical conveniences, namely kitchens on each floor and laundry appliances in the building’s lower level, parking spaces and optional private storage areas. Three live-in resident assistants provide guidance and support to students.
These amenities are paired with a tranquil color palette as the renovation aesthetic aims to mirror a different phase of daytime across each floor.
Iwanenko noted, “The building was designed to reflect Erie beach scenes from sunrise on the top floor, daytime beach, to sunset and nighttime views of Erie in the basement.”
The fourth-floor community lounge offers four functional garage doors that open in the warm months to overlook I-HACK and draw in the morning’s rising sun. Pops of luminous yellow and blue paint invite the rising sun inside. The third floor utilizes beach glass tones to mimic daytime, and the second floor moves into a dropping sunset color scheme with bold oranges and yellows. The lower level aptly provides muted nighttime ambiance in its shared lounge.
Art can be found throughout the building with a special emphasis on Erie’s rich natural beauty, Evan Everhart provided original works throughout, including a metal interpretation of the dogwood tree, which has religious significance. Students also participated in the artistic feel of South Hall, supplying the photography that can be seen throughout the building.
Learn more about living on campus at Gannon University.