College Students Find Place to Call Home
An Appreciation for Emerson
Seattle Pacific University is a unique institution that helps students prepare themselves for the rest of their lives. Students live, study, eat, hang out, work, and do almost everything on campus. The few acres of land that encompass this university have become for many, home away from home. Sitting on W. Emerson St. lies a very special place (Derpack). From the outside one can detect the modern, yet rustic architectural elements. Upon entering, one is immersed into the classic college life. Students are bustling about, chatting about trivial events that happened to them that day, or are fretting over what they have yet to accomplish, which is more than likely due in hours. Some are casually hanging around on comfortable seating either eating a quick snack or socializing with friends. This place being described is the dorm building Emerson, which is home to about 320 students and was opened in 2001 (“Campus”).
Prior to Emerson’s opening, SPU found itself in a crunch providing living space for students. The New Residence Hall Steering Committee came together and made a decision to build a new dorm. They collaborated with architect company, Mithune Partnership, and contracting company, W.G. Clark to create this 92,287 square foot building. Upon opening, Emerson became the fourth operating dorm on campus. This new building, costing $13.5 million, wouldn’t be paid for from tuition money, but from housing dollars. Therefore, students are the ones we all need to thank for this wonderful addition to the SPU campus. (Derpack)
So where did Emerson’s name come from? Currently the building is named after the street it sits on. The street may have been named in honor of Ralph Waldo Emerson, a writer and leader of the transcendentalist movement in the middle of the 19th century. This may be because Emerson was a legendary figure in literature and inspired many. Or it could have been named after someone else influential in the time of its naming. The answer has yet to be uncovered. I emailed Melanna Kallionakis, manager of visitor services at the Museum of History and Industry, to see if she had any information. She emailed me back with no knowledge, but forwarded me onto Carolyn Marr, who is a librarian for the museum. She too couldn’t locate any information about the street name but guessed it was named after Ralph Waldo Emerson since many places were named after him. Though anyone interested in having their name on this building is welcome to purchase it. The name “Emerson” is a place holder name. If one were to donate a million or two, they could have the building named in their honor (Willett). No matter who it was named after, the atmosphere created in this building is truly unique.
Emerson is its own community, but is composed of several different parts. It’s designed to look more like a home rather than a dorm to create a comfortable feel. This helps students feel more at ease and relaxed in this new place where they live. When one enters Emerson, they are immersed into this cabin-like interior. To the left is a lounge, which includes an inviting fireplace and comfortable seating for mingling and relaxing. The first floor has an exercise room, laundry room, and a front desk with a student always available to answer any questions or assist one in any way. Moving up to the second level, there is a chapel and sitting garden. This offers students a quiet place to pray, meditate, or do homework. Emerson was also the first dorm to introduce suite style rooms. There is an abundance of room choices which allows students to have a say in their living environment. One may choose a single, double, triple, or quad room. Depending on how much one likes to share or socialize, there are plenty of options for all kinds of personalities. (Farmer)
The philanthropic model displayed in the creation of this building relates to an excerpt in the magazine Lapham’s Quarterly. Dwight Macdonald, U.S. writer and philosopher, discusses uses of philanthropy in this excerpt “Dwight Macdonald Meets the Philanthropoids.” Macdonald holds a lot of experience in literature, but is considered a “veteran of sectarian left-wing politics.” The excerpt focuses on the Ford Motor Foundation and how they distribute their donations. While Ford Motors has nothing to do with the Emerson building, the role of philanthropy is similar. Macdonald introduces the term ‘philanthropoid,’ which is someone who plays the middleman between the donators and the receivers. In the excerpt, the philanthropoids are a group of 40 men who get together and discuss who they think is worthy of receiving the money. Applying this term to the construction of Emerson, the New Residence Hall Steering Committee could be considered the philanthropoids. This committee gets together and decides where students’ housing money is going to go towards. They get to decide if a new dorm hall is created. This money could go towards a lot of causes on campus, such as the renovation of outdated buildings or investment in new technologies. Yet this group decides that the money will go towards the construction and interior of a new dorm. Macdonald uses an informative, critical tone to inform the reader on how corporations work in the process of “giving away of other people’s money.” This is exactly what the housing committee does. They take the money that students pay and then distribute it where they see fit. (Macdonald)
The inviting atmosphere Emerson offers might also appeal prospective students to attend here. Three years ago, I was a prospective student here at SPU. I visited the school in early September and distinctly remember everything I saw. I was overwhelmed by the college scene but was also so excited for what was in my future. The sense of community SPU offered was clear to see and I appreciated that. But one thing I was concerned about is where I would live. I knew it would be hard to be away from home so I was hoping to find that there were dorms available that weren’t too uninviting. Just by walking past Emerson, I was amazed. It looked like a giant house, not a dorm hall. This really eased my concerns because I knew I would be comfortable if I were to come to school here. The students walking in and out of the building seemed friendly and I knew it would be a great place to live. After this visit, I knew SPU was the school for me.
Why would one care about how or why Emerson was opened? The answer to this question cannot be answered in a few short words. The creation of Emerson has helped and influenced many people. Emerson is home to hundreds of students who attend Seattle Pacific University. These kids rely on this place to keep them safe, introduce them to new friends, and allow them a space to study and rest. Events throughout the year invite students to get involved. Some popular events include the quarterly Coffee House, fall retreat, Emerson film festival, and hall ball. With all of these, kids engage with peers and are given an opportunity to build relationships. While the construction of this building was quite expensive and costs a lot to run, the positives it offers greatly outweigh the costs. The creation of this building will only lead to the creation of more spaces. Already another dorm, Arnett, has been added to the campus. The introduction of these new dorms allows the school to accept more students which greatly affects the school. It provides more opportunities for kids to get a higher education and begin the start to the rest of their lives. So I’m saying thank you to those students who came to Seattle Pacific University and for their contribution of Emerson to this special place.
Works Cited:
“Campus Residence Halls and Apartments.” Seattle Pacific University. 2016. http://spu.edu/info/buildings/emerson_hall/
Derpack, Joy. “Emerson Hall.” The Falcon. 21 Apr 1999. Web. 14 Nov 2016.
Farmer, Kathleen. “Emerson Unveiled.” The Falcon. 3 Oct 2001. Web. 14 Nov 2016.
Macdonald, Dwight. “Foundation.” Lapham’s Quarterly. 1955: 43–47. Print.
Smithhart, Noelle. “Construction to begin on Emerson Hall.” The Falcon. 9 Feb 2000. Web. 14 Nov 2016.
Willett, Mischa. “Seattle Pacific University Campus Buildings.” Seattle Pacific University, Seattle. 14 Nov 2016. Lecture.
