Due to an Increase in Freshman Men, UMHB Reopens Johnson Hall
By Hailey Weldon, Reporter
The decision to reopen Johnson Hall was finalized over the summer as the number of freshman men increased by 31 residents since last fall — beyond what the current dorms could hold. Due to this, apartment RAs across Garner, Independence Village-2, and Independence Village-4 were selected to cover duty for Johnson.
Although Johnson was traditionally a women’s dorm with communal bathrooms, it was selected to re-open rather than Getty’s or Stribling since they would need further renovations before opening.
Resident Director (RD) over Johnson Hall and one of the on-campus apartments, Brian Street said it is important that the men in Johnson get to be in a building where they get the traditional hall experience. Although these residents do not have RAs living with them and the resources to fully invest in them, he feels that is what makes his role that much more important.
Street has taken over the position as the RD for Johnson Hall along with his usual apartment RD duties. Some apartment Resident Assistants (RA) have also taken on extra tasks to compensate for the absence of RAs.
Helping Johnson was not something many first-time RAs expected when they applied to be an RA.
“Honestly, I thought it was a blessing.” returning RA Abigail Bell said when asked about her initial thoughts on the situation. She was hesitant at first due to past encounters she has had with male residents but, “honestly it’s been amazing so far!”.
Other RAs have also expressed that Johnson has been doing really well and that there have not been any major issues.
During duty nights from 7 p.m. to midnight, RAs have noted that there is more commotion and people coming to have a good time in Johnson rather than Shannon — the Common area for on campus apartment residents living in Independence Village and Garner.
Johnson’s re-opening has also caused some RAs to feel hesitant towards their new role. One RA mentioned feeling uncomfortable when walking to and from their building in low lighting during nightly duty.
“It feels a little odd just because I don’t know the people in the building, but I think that it’s the role that needed to be filled, and I’m happy to fill the void for now,” Anna Henson, first-time RA said.
It is not known if Johnson Hall will continue to stay open through the rest of the 2026-2027 school year since it is based on the number of residents needing a living space. However, these
RAs are picking up the slack in any way possible to help create a positive living experience while serving on campus in a leadership role.
