Dan Zalewski
Associate Sports Editor

In 2013, Millersville University embarked on what many consider to be its most ambitious construction project in its 160 year history. In an attempt to provide higher quality accommodations for its students, Millersville has continued to work on its plan to reconstruct all university residence halls. As seen daily by many students, the project continues with the current construction of the West Village. However, as the walls come up along the southern end of campus, the next step requires turning our attention to the walls coming down on the northern side. For many residents of Gaige Hall, the rumors of a future deconstruction are a topic of interest.

The students of Gaige Hall, upon hearing that their first home on campus will be demolished following this year, quickly stumbled upon the rumor that their hall will allow redecorating within their rooms. “The residents of Gaige will not be able to spray paint the building, tear bricks out, … bring in elephants, ducks, or bring backhoes and tear up trees and chunks,” Vickie Blackston, Interim Director of Housing and Residential Programs, cleared up the rumors, “We will still be using Gaige after the semester is over for summer conferences.” Blackston speculates that the rumors started from the tearing down of Hobbs Hall, whose residents painted a university-approved, tasteful mural to mark the building’s history in its final months. The current freshmen residents of Gaige Hall misunderstood the details of the mural.

Gaige Hall is a beloved home of many students and alumni.
Gaige Hall is a beloved home of many students and alumni. Photo courtesy of Julia Snyder.

The deconstruction of Gaige is part of the move into phase four of the reconstruction project. The 42 year old resident hall is one of the oldest on campus, behind Bard and Gilbert. Unlike the previous demolitions, there will not be a new resident hall replacing Gaige. The goal is to have all students that are living within Millersville provided housing to be residing on the southern end of campus by the start of the Fall 2016 semester. As for Bard and Gilbert, they will not house students come next semester, but there is no word on what the plan is for those halls at this time.

The current freshman within Gaige have mixed feelings about the future plans for the resident hall. Current resident Evan Schreiber says, “On one hand Gaige has kind of grown on me and seems like home, but it is nice that they are modernizing.” Many upperclassmen share a different sentiment, feeling sad that their first home at Millersville will soon be no more. The news has even reached several alumni of Millersville. Blackston said “I know that there’s quite a few [alumni that came] back during Homecoming. Some have even contacted the office here and asked for a tour through so that they can kind of say goodbye too.” These feelings prove that Gaige may soon be gone but not soon forgotten.