COLUMN: ‘Even better than it was before:’ Shipstad Hall is a place to call home

The Beacon’s breakdown of October Shipstad events

Its opening brings questions: Is rebuilding an entire community a daunting task? How long would it take for Shipstad to thrive? Would the hall keep its old traditions alive? 

To answer these questions and more, I went straight to the source: Shipstad residents and hall staff. This October, I attended the hall events and socials that rekindled Shipstad’s community, including their beloved haunted house. 

According to Shipstad Hall Director Lupita Zamora-Resendiz, hall staff have been completely on board with the revival of Shipstad since the beginning.

“The first time we all met and brainstormed our desire for what events to host and what we wanted Shipstad to look like, everybody immediately bought into the idea of loving Shipstad,” Zamora-Resendiz said.  

She also highlights the vital role that each resident assistant (RA) has played in forming the Shipstad’s identity, including the plethora of activities offered every month. 

Shipstad’s haunted house

Back by popular demand, Shipstad’s hall staff made sure this cherished tradition would make an appearance as the crowning jewel of Shipstad’s hall events. 

In many ways, the event was Shipstad’s opportunity to show the campus community how far they have come since their reopening on Aug 21. 

Junior RA Rowan Lowery said that balancing old traditions with new ones was key for hall staff this year. 

“There were a lot of people asking, ‘Are you bringing back the haunted house?’” Lowery said. “We kept hearing of old traditions that people who had been around knew of and wanted to bring back.”

Though it took months of preparation, both Lowery and Zamora-Resendiz insisted on keeping this “iconic” tradition. 

Zamora-Resendiz says even before the event took place, she had gathered over 30 volunteers from Shipstad and other residence halls to help set up the haunted house. 

Even more volunteers worked as actors whose job was to scare people as they walked through the Shipstad basement. 

Shipstad also partnered with the Campus Program Board’s (CPB) “Nightmare on Willamette” to open the haunted house to parents who wanted to take their children through before it opened for campus residents. This was the first time Shipstad has done this collaboration, and Zamora-Resendiz hopes the hall can continue its partnership with CPB in the future. 

With all the hype and anticipation surrounding the haunted house, I braved the rain to reach the entrance when it opened on Oct. 25. My friend and I paid our $1 entry fee and were led downstairs by an ominous Shipstad resident. 

As we got closer to the basement where the haunted house was held, dense fog flooded the hallway. It perfectly set the spooky mood. 

The haunted house itself was brilliant in both design and execution by the actors who played their parts. 

Residents dressed as clowns jumped up from behind laundry machines to scare us, while glowing red lights flashed in warning. 

One study room had been turned into a horror kitchen, complete with prop knives and a rubber human foot, which were both waved frantically in the air by two residents dressed as bloodied chefs. 

I was pleasantly surprised at the display’s quality. My friend and I remarked at how well Shipstad had grown since the start of the year, and we joked that the $1 fee felt like too little for such a complete performance. 

The success of this event reflects the growth of Shipstad as a whole. Much like the haunted house, the community of Shipstad thrives because its residents are committed to making the renovated hall their home. 

Let’s get thrifty

On Oct. 26, Lowery and his fellow Shipstad RAs, Mahogany Matthews and Emmely Minoth, took a group of 16 residents thrift shopping on Hawthorne Street.  

Having reserved university vans, the students drove downtown and spent the day in stores like Crossroads Trading and House of Vintage in search of neat finds and clothing. 

Though initially worried about potential transportation issues, Lowery hails the trip as a success and hopes that Shipstad can take similar trips in the future. 

“We had a blast exploring Hawthorne Street and finding lots of treasures at the thrift stores down there,” Lowery said. 

Hall Mass

Every residence hall on campus holds hall Mass once a week, each one with clever variations that set them apart. 

Shipstad’s weekly Mass is decidedly “musical.” During the first Shipstad Mass I attended, I experienced Zamora-Resendiz’s impressive guitar skills and Lowery’s talented viola playing, which I was quickly corrected when I called it violin playing. 

The hymns we sang were accompanied by the musical strumming that gave Mass a welcoming feeling. 

The rain drizzled outside the illuminated chapel, showing the contrast between the dreary weather and the inviting space inside Shipstad Hall. 

After-Mass social

A popular weekly event open to all campus residents is the after-Mass social (AMS) immediately following hall Mass. 

There are tables in the lobby with boxes of various flavors of chips and Capri Suns spread out. AMS is a chance for people to enjoy each other’s company and grab an evening snack. 

I was surprised at how many people who hadn’t attended Mass showed up for the social, and it was comforting to notice the conversations happening around me.

Sophomore resident Sierra Humphreys was among those engaging with her fellow Shipmates. 

“I love getting to know everyone after Mass,” Humphreys said. “And I enjoy the different fun treats brought for us.” 

Even the priest who presided over Mass attends AMS and makes conversation with Shipstad residents and other attendees. 

Residents congregate in the Shipstad lobby and hallway, and the social lasts until everyone has dissipated throughout the hall or outside into the night. 

“Knock and Talks” 

For Zamora-Resendiz, caring for the well-being of every Shipmate is a top priority for hall staff. 

When I asked her what that looked like, she applauded senior RA Zachary Leppaluoto for hosting a conversation-based activity every Thursday that he calls “Knock and Talks.”

“Every week, Zach does something called ‘Knock and Talks,' where he provides fun snacks. And he just knocks on his residents’ doors and chats with them to see how they're doing,” Zamora-Resendiz said.

Lowery, Leppaluoto’s fellow RA,  also commends him for hosting additional community-building activities. 

“Zach hosted a couple of craft nights, including storyboard making,” Lowery said. “I think he did a game night and some other watch party events. It’s awesome.” 

The beanbag room 

While Shipstad’s infamous beanbag room is not an event in and of itself, it is a popular common space for residents to socialize. The room boasts a large television and 16 massive beanbag chairs. 

“People really love the beanbag room,” Zamora-Resendiz said. “They have found it to be really fun and a great way to build community.” 

The room has held multiple movie nights throughout the semester, where residents are invited to enjoy the beanbags while watching “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Phineas and Ferb,” among other screenings. 

Lowery sees the beanbag room only becoming more popular as the year goes on. 

My experience at Shipstad Hall was something unexpected, but heartwarming all the same. I can only see the hall continuing to have a positive impact on the UP community. 

"I really think that by continuing to hold our students to high standards of what it means to be a Shipmate and showing up and caring for the community, we can build it to be even better than it was before,” Zamora-Resendiz said.   

Rieve Randall is the Community Engagement Editor for The Beacon. He can be reached at randallr28@up.edu. 

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