In late August when the boarding community arrived at Dana Hall, they found out about the new and improved dorm, Johnston A, which had been renovated over the summer.
The distinctive lines of Johnston A welcome boarders to its newly renovated interior.
The Johnstons are a set of four dorms for upper school boarding students located next to the Shipley Athletic Center. Like all other boarding schools, the dorms at the Dana Hall School are crucial to the boarding community because they serve as students’ second homes.
Johnston A is the second-to-last dorm out of the Johnstons to be remodeled. Over the last two summers, Johnston C and D were remodeled.
When I went into Johnston A, I noticed that it had very modern furniture and more of a fresh, vibrant look compared to Johnston B.
Dawnya Green, class of 2021 who is a boarder in Johnston B, said, “Johnston A looks a lot better, but Johnston B has more of a cozy and homey feel.”
Having lived in Johnston B freshman year, Victoria Fuller, class of 2021, said, “the renovations are really nice. My favorite part of the renovation are the floors and the updated bathrooms.”
The new House Director in Johnston A, Priscilla Christie, has been at Dana Hall for 24 years, and has lived in multiple dorms around the Dana campus. She agrees that the new floors are her favorite part of Johnston A’s renovation. She loves the new color palette, natural lighting, and the open, airy feeling of the dorm. She especially loves the beautiful artwork for the dorm lobby.
The common space in Johnston A is heavily used by boarders to hang out with their friends while watching TV and movies. In fact, Victoria Fuller said, “I like the common room a lot because I can come here with other boarders as well as day friends to watch TV and movies.”
Priscilla agrees that the shared space in Johnston A is very beneficial and thinks the space feels clean and comfortable.
The renovation in Johnston A has a great impact on the boarding community, especially the lives of the people who live there.
