English Hall’s underground Cellar wing has re-opened its doors after a temporary mold outbreak caused residents to settle in other dorms around campus. Cellar residents who chose to remain on the wing were cleared by Taylor staff to move back in on Sept. 9.
“It was a very abrupt and sudden kind of move,” Charisma Bray, hall director of English Hall, said. Taylor University staff informed Bray of the situation at 8 a.m. on Aug. 27. The news came a day before Welcome Weekend.
Cellar resident and freshman professional writing major, Amelia Charles, said that students that had already moved into Cellar were gathered at 10 a.m. were asked to relocate as quickly as possible.
Less than five hours after the initial announcement, an outside maintenance company from Fort Wayne, Indiana, traveled to campus for assistance.
“We engaged a specialized external remediation company to address the moisture issue,” Josiah Peterson, director of residence life, said. “Their team deployed professional-grade air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, HEPA machines and moisture-removal systems to thoroughly dry and treat the affected spaces.”
Everyone currently living in Cellar or planning to move there relocated to open rooms in other residence halls for a week and a half. Taylor staff placed most students in Gerig Hall, while a smaller number relocated to Breuninger Hall and Olson Hall.
Residence Life allowed students living in Cellar to decide where they wanted to live for the rest of the year, even if that meant they wouldn’t return to Cellar. During the temporary relocation, they intentionally picked available spots around campus housing so either transition would feel easy.
“As they settled into their temporary spot we wanted to make sure they knew they could fully settle in and be a part of that wing or floor community,” Peterson said. “And if they were especially excited and eager to move back to Cellar, we wanted to make sure they were welcome to do so.”
Despite the difficult situation, students at Taylor intentionally strove to make Cellar students feel welcome on their wing or floor. Gerig residents in particular were inclusive in spite of the limited time they had with the Cellar girls, Bray said.
“I heard so many girls say that they were delighted to have them placed where they were, even if it was temporary,” she said.
Charles left her temporary room in Olson with good memories. The experience included having other individuals who walked beside her during temporary uncertainty, Charles said.
“I was able to see how that wing functioned, and I was a part of the wing, and they were all super helpful,” said Charles. “A bunch of them helped me carry my stuff back over (to Cellar), and now I know more people because of it.”
A group of students moved back to Cellar for the year, totaling in 14 people for the fall semester.
While recovering from the unexpected event, English residence life plans to look for ways to nurture the Cellar community this year and to find optimism in shifting circumstances.
“It didn’t feel quite like English was complete without a wing missing, so we were very excited when they moved back in,” Bray said. “I’m excited to see how we pivot and how we cling to optimism and look for God’s goodness.”
Charles is excited for the future with her wing, especially with these circumstances bringing them closer together, she said.
Despite the previous circumstances, the girls in Cellar are settling in and have begun to pursue intentional community.
“We have wing dinner tonight,” she said. “A bunch of us went to the Covered Bridge Festival Saturday. We’re just finding little ways to try and fill the holes that were brought about from not having the first few weeks with each other to establish a community.”
