Something that any member of the Chaminade family knows is that the boarding program at Chaminade is one of the most essential parts of what makes Chaminade what it is. All the way since Chaminade’s founding, it has been a school that has offered residency to its students, while also providing a great education. Currently, Chaminade resident students stay in the building known as Canning Hall. While the building still serves as a great place for resident students to live and relax on campus, there was a vision for a modernized and improved dormitory that will greatly benefit the students’ experience. I interviewed Dr. Todd Guidry, president of Chaminade, about the construction and plans for the upcoming “Marianist Hall”, and what the future holds for Chaminade resident students.
Q: What was the main motivation behind creating the new dorms?
A: Our resident students are highly valued members of the school community. They deserve a comfortable place to call home. Having a world class dorm also ensures that we are an appealing option for many more years. The current resident hall was built in the late 50’s and is past its usable life. Because of the way it was constructed, there aren’t rehabilitation or renovation opportunities. Our deep commitment to the resident program prioritized a new dorm in our master planning for the campus. This was an important first step in what we hope is a multi-year updating of our campus facilities.
Q: What will be some of the main improvements and features that the new dorms will include that the current ones lacked?
A: The design of the building focused on the student experience and their comfort. We wanted to ensure that they felt at home. Priority number one was to move away from community bathrooms. The new dorm will have a college suite feel, with 4 students sharing a private bathroom. We also focused on creating community spaces that the students wanted to use. The lounges in Marianist Hall will be large, and engaging, hopefully drawing the students to them to spend time relaxing and being with one another.
Q: Have there been any roadblocks or constraints during the construction process?
A: Overall, it’s been a very smooth process. GS&S Construction is the contractor building the dorm, and they’ve been amazing to work with. We also have really great staff at Chaminade working diligently to make sure everything goes as planned. There have been few hiccups here and there, but generally it’s gone well.
Q: What are the main benefits that you are looking forward to providing with the new dorms?
A: A more comfortable space for our resident students and the reconfiguring of our campus as a result. Sometime in 2025, Canning Hall will be demolished. The campus will look and feel very different once it’s gone.
It’s worth mentioning the name of the dorm, Marianist Hall. This signifies our commitment to our Marianist mission and identity and reminds us of the importance of community and family as a pillar of a Marianist education.
As heard from Dr. Guidry, there will be a multitude of improvements and modernization that will come with the new Marianist Hall. From what has been said, it sounds like there is going to be a large focus on comfort and livability in the new dorm. From the way the rooms are set up, to the transition from community bathrooms to more private ones, it sounds like the entire facility will have a more home-like feel. To me, this sounds like an amazing improvement from the current dorms, which were built several decades ago. Even though it sounds great to me, the opinions that truly matter come from the resident students of Chaminade. I spoke to several different students who currently live on campus, and the consensus was that the new dormitories are going to be heavily liked and appreciated. From comfortability to practicality, the implementation of the new dormitories on campus will surely be a welcome one that improves the lives and experiences of many students on campus.
