34FALL STUDENT LIFE WITHIN WALLS Former women’s dorm Kendall Hall is now office space as renovations happen on campus. FEMALE STUDENTS WHO ATTENDED HARDING from 1961-2020 had a high chance of living in the former women’s dormitory Kendall Hall. Alumna Kaylee O’Dell, who graduated in 2020, resided in Kendall. Although Kendall Hall was not her favorite place to live, she said she was able to meet many new people through the experience. “I stayed in Stephens Hall my freshman year, Pryor my junior year and Legacy my senior year,” O’Dell said. “Compared to Stephens, Pryor and Legacy, Kendall was by far the most outdated.” In early 2020, the decision was made to use Kendall for other purposes. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Kendall temporarily housed any students who tested positive for COVID-19. Sophomore Ashlyn Voss was one of the first students to be quarantined in Kendall in September 2020. She said that, given the circumstances, her time in Kendall was enjoyable. She said the social atmosphere was surprisingly welcoming. “We would come out of our rooms and hang out in the hallway a lot, just playing games or talking,” Voss said. “I formed strong relationships with many of the people I was quarantined with since we were such a small group.” Voss said she felt a strong sense of Harding’s community because of all the people that came to visit her in Kendall, as well as the meals cooked for the quarantined students. She said that temporarily living in Kendall created a better quarantine experience. For the 2021-22 school year, the purpose of Kendall was changed yet again. The decision was made to turn the building into a temporary office space for a few different departments — primarily for the office of Admissions Services while the David D. Burks American Heritage building was being remodeled. Admissions counselor Kennedy Barden was one of the first employees of the University to be moved to Kendall. He occupied a dorm-room-turned-office on the first floor. Despite the previous uses for Kendall as a living space, Barden recognized the versatility of his new office. “It doesn’t really feel like a dorm room anymore,” Barden said. “I have offices around all of my friends, so it’s a good atmosphere, even though we’re separate from a lot of people in the main offices.” With the changes made to Kendall, more changes in the future wouldn’t be unprecedented. Although Kendall temporarily housed the admissions office during this time, plans to remodel Kendall as the new office headquarters of Public Safety on the first floor were already in motion. WRITTEN BY CARTER THWEATT WINDOW PAIN Junior Abby Foust sits in her window talking to friends while she recovers from COVID-19. Students who stayed in Kendall Hall found creative ways to pass the time. Photo courtesy of: Jeff Montgomery THE
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