by Olivia Coletti '24 on November 5, 2023
News Staff
News
Shanley Hall, the 121,150 square foot residence hall, was completed this past August. As far as the Friar community can tell from the outside, the hall looks great. Its modern glass common spaces are displayed to the outside, where the futuristic chairs contrast the medieval gothic architecture of the tan stone walls. It fits the campus’ aspirations to look more like Hogwarts from Harry Potter. To an outsider, it looks like an amazing place to stay, but what about an insider?
Resident of Shanley Hall Brianna Marly ’26 stated, “I like how the rooms are set up in Shanley and the fact that we have two sinks that make it feel more spacious.” This is a drastic difference from the previous sophomore hall, Aquinas Hall, now a freshman dorm. Aquinas’ rooms didn’t have any individual bathrooms for a room, let alone double sinks. Marly appreciates that “there are multiple spaces to go to whenever you want to leave your room,” referencing the common room and kitchen areas on each floor, along with communal rooms on the first floor. She also noted that the “landscaping of Shanley is so pretty and just the design of the building in general.” According to mental health professionals at Boston Medical Center, a green environment has been associated with a reduced risk of poor mental health. Of course, the good landscaping is also simply beautiful.
Another student living in Shanley, Brook Rogers ’26, stated, “I feel safe in Shanley, as we have to scan into each floor and the elevator. It is nice that we have study rooms on each floor so we have a quiet place to study that isn’t far from our room. The kitchen space is really nice and throughout the dorm, there are a lot of TVs that you can use. I am excited to see the back patio they are building right now.” Her positive comments reflect well for the Providence College community. Safety and security are priorities of the school and it’s good to hear that the student body feels that way. A back patio is a great outdoor workspace and could incentivize spending time more outside, which is always great for students.
Overall, this positive feedback reflects most of what you will hear from Shanley Hall students.