As Welcome Weekend 2026 rolls around, Taylor students are making history. This weekend, students moved into Paul and Barbara Gentile Hall, Taylor’s newest dorm, for the first time.
Construction of the hall began in April, according to a previous Echo article, using panels built off-site in a factory in Michigan before assembly at Taylor.
Pre-cast panels were assembled by the second week of June, Keith Cocking, director of Construction Services, said. The remainder of the summer has been dedicated to working on the building interior.
“From early June until now has all been focusing on the western half, the half that will be open in the fall, and getting all that complete,” Cocking said. “So, that’s building walls, all of the mechanicals, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, restrooms, lights, internet, the whole thing on that half of the building.”
General contracting firm Michael Kinder and Sons has overseen the building project, Cocking said, in turn hiring a number of subcontractors to work on specific parts of the building.
Those contractors will continue on the eastern half of the building throughout the fall, even as students move in, Cocking said. During that time, Taylor will take measures to ensure the safety and comfort of students already living in Gentile.
“Right now we’re just basically building a wall, and so there’s no possible way to access the other side from the side students are living in,” Cocking said. “There won’t be any way for students and contractors to move between the two halves of the building, finished and unfinished.”
Insulation will be installed between the halves of the buildings to dampen the sound of construction, Cocking said. In addition, contractors’ schedules will adjust to the needs of students.
The hall opened shortly before Welcome Weekend, a week later than anticipated, he said. Part of the delay is due to the intense summer storms Indiana experienced; the bad weather slowed down the final exterior work.
While the building will be open in time for most students to arrive, early arrivals, including personnel assistants (PAs) and International Orientation attendees, were housed elsewhere, junior Nathaniel Berry, PA of Gentile’s fourth floor, said.
Floor leaders receive support from Gentile’s new hall director, Montana Arns. Arns, formerly worked as Olson Hall’s hall director, will be Gentile’s first HD, training the PAs in preparation for their roles.
For Gentile leadership, training progresses as normal, Arns said; leaders learn how to organize bible studies, learn what being mandatory reporters looks like, and take part on the PA bike trip. The major exception is the excitement the leadership team feels as it prepares. All are looking forward to being able to realize their dreams for the new dorm, and training includes discussion of the values they want Gentile to embody.
Dorm leadership is optimistic about its new home.
“The building is friggin’ sick- we had our first tour yesterday and it’s SO AWESOME,” Berry said (capitalization original). “I love the fact that it is corridor style, as compared to a suite/apartment/townhome vibe. I also love the appearance in the outside. TU construction really outdid themselves!”
Berry looks forward to the community of the new dorm. He chose to become a PA to meet new students and construct a legacy with them for others to follow.
Their floor, he said, will be called “Homestead,” reflecting both the newness of their home and their decision to live in a community grounded in faith and brotherhood.
“I have a spiritual hope that we would be a place of both encouragement and accountability,” he said, “with uncompromising standards of life together walked out in love, as a natural outpouring of the Holy Spirit working to unify everyone as brothers!”
Junior Dasia Remigailo, PA on the second floor of Gentile, echoed the need for Gentile to live out Christian fellowship as they figure out life in the new dorm together.
Remigailo felt called to apply for the leadership team after a lot of prayer and looks forward to helping shape the culture into something all students benefit from, she said.
“It's a position where we can create a place of unity and a new culture, and create a safe place for students to call home at Taylor,” she said. “We all are really excited to disciple one another in humility, grace, servanthood, and joy and to walk alongside Taylor residents in discipleship. We're all looking forward to seeing what this place can become and call it home.”
Second Gentile chose Lamentations 3:22 as their verse for this year to remind themselves that the Lord’s promises never fail, she said. Remigailo hopes the floor will remember God’s faithfulness and goodness as they create a new floor culture together.
That culture is expressed through floor traditions, something both PAs are intent on creating and passing on to the next generation of students.
“Traditions are just such a big part of Taylor and are specific to each dorm,” Remigailo said. “It will be fun and interesting to see how each floor and each wing creates new traditions and contributes to Taylor's culture. I really want to create a unified space where we walk alongside each other in daily discipleship and grow with each other in a Christ-like way.”
Arns too hopes to create a new culture, mentioning the need to create routines such sitting together in the DC and plan events like open houses. Most dorms already have those set up; Gentile needs to create them, she said.
The major task facing them is turning the newly completed building into a home for all students, Arns said.
“My hopes are that people naturally feel a new sense of home in PBG as they would in any other building on campus,” she said. “I'm excited for the traditions, open houses, conversations, and laughter that will happen in this hall!”
