Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus named its new residence hall after female aviator Amelia Earhart.
“We’re really doing a lot to educate people on women in aviation,” Kyle Chamberlin, assistant dean of student life for K-State Salina, said. “[Earhart] was a proposed name and everybody really enjoyed it, and we thought the history behind it really worked out well.”
Malachi Stenger-Zook, freshman in professional piloting, said naming the residence hall after a woman is a positive step for K-State.
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“I definitely think with us being an aerospace campus, that being able to tie Amelia Earhart into our campus shows that representation of [women] is important,” Stenger-Zook, Earhart Hall RA for the 2023-24 school year, said. “We have very few females on our campus, and the ones that are here kind of get overlooked.”
Justin May, designer of Earhart Hall, said it is set to open in July and will be available to students for the 2023-24 school year.
“Crews are busy inside with flooring, ceilings and paint,” May said. “The team is also working outside on sidewalks and grading, and the Powercat logo and building name were just hung.”
May said the residence hall is equipped with the latest amenities.
“The facility holds 104 beds,” May said. “Each floor has its own kitchenette with a range and fire-suppression hood that will allow more cooking options. The [building] includes exterior insulation finishing systems, stone and a Nichiha Fiber Cement Siding panel which is durable and fire resistant.”
Stenger-Zook said he is excited to have something new on campus.
“The residence halls we have now are barracks from when the campus was Schilling Air Force Base, so they’re definitely old and a little crusty,” Stenger-Zook said. “Having a new building is going to bring a lot of improvements, not only to the residence halls but to student life in general.”
