Penn State Abington debuts residence hall | News

ABINGTON >> Students living at the Penn State Abington Lions Gate Residence Hall made their way into their new home Aug. 23 between those gathered for the noontime official ribbon-cutting of the new apartment building.

The students had moved into the four-story, $50 million, environmentally conscious building for freshmen during the previous two weeks, in time for the Aug. 21 first day of classes at the commonwealth campus.

Lions Gate, at 1001 Old York Road, represents “the first of its kind at Penn State to be adjacent to campus,” said Nicole Connell, associate director of strategic marketing.

Within walking and biking distance to campus, stores and restaurants, the building, comprising two- and three- bedroom units on coed floors, can house 400, is convenient to public transportation and offers shuttles every 15 minutes to the Abington campus. The apartments, ranging from $3,930 to $4,470 per person per semester, can accommodate four to six students, each equipped with a kitchen and private bathroom.

“It’s true apartment living,” Connell said. There is not a meal plan; students have to go into the town to buy food and other essentials and “become a member of the community.”

Students living at Lions Gate come from 13 countries, though a lot are from Philadelphia, as well, she said; “it’s all about inclusion.”

“It’s very convenient; the stores are nearby, it’s a 15-minute walk,” said freshman Tracy Zhou, of China, while waiting for the campus shuttle outside Lions Gate. She was drawn to Penn State, she said, for the “challenge to be in another city and experience a different place.”

Freshman Jocelyn Rhabb, of New York City, said the new apartment building had added to the appeal of Penn State Abington, which an aunt and uncle, Penn State alums, had encouraged her to attend.

“I wanted to see something different and I wanted the dorm experience,” said Rhabb, who has a three-bedroom unit and five roommates. “I love it here. It does help with learning to manage money.”

“Lions Gate is more than bricks and mortar,” Penn State Abington Chancellor Damian Fernandez said at the start of the formal ceremony marking the opening of the new residence. “It represents the architecture of possibilities … a gateway of living and learning in a global university.”

The 1,196-student incoming class at Penn State Abington is a 20 percent increase over last year, Fernandez said. The freshmen, from 25 countries and 31 states, “come as strangers and will leave as Penn Staters.”

“Lions Gate will be a gateway to their future,” he said.

PSU President Eric J. Barron, joking “I love cutting ribbons, second only to receiving checks from alumni,” noted Lions Gate represented the first time residential housing was offered to PSU Abington students since the closing of Sutherland at the campus in 1957.

Referring to how students gathered for the solar eclipse on the first day of classes, creating “a strong sense of community,” Barron said the apartments were “a real opportunity to build that sense of community.”

While some students see the commonwealth campuses as a stepping stone to main campus, others choose the small campus atmosphere, he said. Students were “seeking a 24/7 residential space,” he said, and the increase in enrollment “is what we said would occur if we built this facility.”

Penn State Board of Trustees Chairman Mark Dambly, a developer, said the residence was probably 10 years in the making, but came in “on budget and on time.”

Terming Lions Gate “a stunning, state-of-the-art facility,” Madlyn Hanes, vice president for commonwealth campuses, said the residence provides “a living, learning community that adds value to a world-class education.”

While learning to gain independence, to plan and prepare meals and manage their own finances, the students will be assisted by staff “highly trained to create a welcoming and secure environment,” she said. “The heart of all this is a desire for the students to have a meaningful college experience.

“It will provide a sense of community, diversity, responsibility and mutual respect.”

Abington Township Commissioner Steven Kline, who credited the college for working with the neighbors and the township, said Lions Gate could be “a model of collaboration moving forward” and “will be a continual resource for economic development.”

Nicholas Worrell, one of 10 resident assistants — two full-time residential coordinators also will live in the building to provide guidance and programs for students — brought the ceremony to a close, stating, Lions Gate will provide a place of “unity to embrace the human experience.”

Penn State Abington offers bachelor’s degrees in 18 majors. About half of the 4,000 students complete all four years at Abington, according to the university.