Taylor University’s oldest residence hall underwent a big change this year. At the end of last year, Residence Life decided to turn Swallow Robin into a women-only residence hall.
Everyone living in Swallow Robin is new to the building this year. Living in the newly nicknamed “Robin” residence hall, upperclassmen and underclassmen alike have the unique opportunity to create a new culture.
Inter-class community is developed at Taylor because students can choose to stay in a building or on a wing for all four years. Upperclassmen are able to pour into new students, and traditions are passed on – including some that have lasted for generations.
A byproduct of this is that over time these communities have created stereotypes for themselves that are widely known across campus. Since Robin has a completely new group of students, they do not fit a certain model.
Senior Rylie Newcomer is the PA (Personnel Assistant) for the third floor of Robin.
Newcomer shared that many upperclassmen left their previous wings because they felt that the Lord put it on their heart to be a part of the upperclassmen presence in Robin.
Newcomer’s positive experiences in Robin are influenced by the underclassmen in the building.
“I love having a large amount of freshmen,” Newcomer said. “I think something that you gain with that is just the excitement of coming to college and experiencing this, and also you don't know what the year will look like. As much as the upperclassmen are there to help support one another and love one another and build a culture, really the freshmen, being as large in the class as they are, have a really big say in who we are and the kind of community that's created there, which has been really good, because, naturally, a lot of the freshmen that came into Robin are already desiring to serve one another.”
Sophomore Madeline Estep, transferred to Taylor this year from Purdue University.
While she doesn’t have experience with Taylor Residence Life, she did live in the residence hall at Purdue. Estep said that residence life wasn’t as big of a deal there and people didn't tend to see and interact with others in their buildings.
Compared to that, Estep loves Robin as all the doors are open and she can chat and get to know the individuals on her wing.
Estep also appreciates the goals that upperclassmen and leadership have created this year: finding identity in Christ and loving each other and building a community despite not having one really specific character trait.
“You don't have to be a specific way,” said Estep. “You are who you are, and we love you for that, and diversity is what makes it fun and what makes things interesting. I'm really enjoying just the way that you can walk down the hallway and find someone who's so different from you, but you can still have a really cool, fun conversation with them.”
Estep is excited to see what God will do with Robin moving forward and hopes that current freshmen will get the opportunity to pour into future freshmen.
Sophomore Grace Stanley lived in Olson Hall last school year, but currently lives on Second Robin.
Stanley is one of six non-freshman living on her wing of 23 women. While she is not a PA or DA, she still adds to the culture and invests in the freshman on her wing.”
Stanley said the wing does not have a stereotype, so there is no pressure to fit a mold.
It can be hard trying to fit a stereotype, so Stanley said the upperclassmen in Robin are intentional about communicating that residence hall stereotypes are not “real.”
Stanley loves the culture that she sees so far in Robin and is hopeful that it will remain that way.
“I'm really hoping that we're able to keep a sense of openness, because this could just be Olson, but I think that every residence hall starts with a big sense of openness and welcomeness. But, as the year progresses, that's when it starts being not as open,” said Stanley. “I'm really hoping Robin can make that sense throughout the year, and just everyone's welcome. Even people outside of Robin, welcoming anyone if we're having an event.”
