Photo from Butler’s website.

ISAIAH STRONG | STAFF REPORTER | istrong@butler.edu

Butler University’s newest residence hall will officially break ground May 2 at what the university is calling the beam signing ceremony.

Students are invited to celebrate the start of the new residence hall at an event where guests can sign a beam that will be place in the future building. The new hall will provide housing to first-year students where Schwitzer Hall once stood.

The beam signing ceremony will take place at the south end of Atherton Union at 11:00 a.m. Students, staff and faculty will speak at the event on the legacy of Schwitzer Hall and the future of campus. The event will be followed by a light lunch on the Atherton South Patio.

The new residence hall will be fully outfitted with over 600 beds, conference rooms and a study lounge. Additionally, the facility will have a courtyard with a fire pit, outdoor study spaces and open lawn spaces. To construct the new building, Butler is partnering with American Campus Communities, who led the construction of the newest building on campus, the Fairview House.

Long-standing Schwitzer Hall is now a fond memory of many students at Butler, especially some of the hall’s former residents

Sophomore psychology major Maggie Considine lived in Schwitzer Hall last year.

“I miss being able to have my door open when it was nice out and people walking in and out between rooms,” she said. “Just hanging out and having fun with the whole unit.”

Lyndsey Isenhower, fellow sophomore and strategic communication major, said “Schwitzer was my home away from home that led me to friends that feel like family. I’m so thankful for a building that hosted so many of my first, crazy, unforgettable memories in college.”

According to Butler’s website, the decommissioning of Schwitzer Hall began just a few months ago in January.

“Construction crews worked diligently this fall to reclaim some stone from the building’s iconic entryways,” according to the website, “Which will be preserved and likely utilized elsewhere on campus.”

The deadline to RSVP for the event is April 28 and can be accessed online via an email sent out by the university April 10.

The new residence hall is expected to open in August 2018.