Allen Hall (University of Manchester)
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Allen Hall is the smallest of the undergraduate student halls of residence which constitute the University of Manchester's Fallowfield Campus, with just 120 students. It has been closed since the end of the academic year 2011/12, apparently on a temporary basis.[1]
Allen Hall — named in honour of the Lancashire-born Cardinal William Allen — comprises three accommodation blocks: Newman, Teilhard, and More - centred on the main building where the chapel, office, dining room, television room, bar, laundrette and conference facilities are located. The hall is located approximately half a mile from the main Fallowfield campus, and is positioned opposite Platt Fields Park and Manchester High School for Girls.
The hall was opened in 1961 and September 2011 saw the 50th anniversary—celebrated with a weekend event.
History
The hall was owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford until 1979, but was licensed by the University of Manchester and initially accepted only male undergraduate residents who were students of that university (or UMIST). The first female students were admitted in the 1995-96 academic year. There was no requirement that students had to be Catholic, but there was a large chapel on the first floor of the main block, where Mass was celebrated on Sundays by priests from the Catholic Chaplaincy. Former residents include Dave Smolira SJ who was President of the JCR and later went on to become the Provincial of the English Province of the Society of Jesus. His deputy, Dermot Preston SJ, was also a former Allen Hall resident and became the new Provincial of the (now) British Province of the Society of Jesus in 2011.
The hall is named after Cardinal William Allen - who was the only Lancastrian to have been appointed Cardinal. The blocks - Newman, Teilhard and More - are named after prominent Catholics from history.
Facilities
The hall has a student-run bar, a common room, a music room and a large chapel which is now used for parties and activities. Each floor has its own kitchen. Formal dinners are held once a month throughout ordinary term time.
Allen Hall Club
Allen Hall Club is Fallowfield Campus's only student-run bar. Each year the student body elects a Bar Steward, Bar Secretary, and Bar Treasurer to oversee its operation and. Opening hours are from 8 pm to 11 pm every night of the week but are subject to change for special events. Bartending is done on a voluntary basis, with drink vouchers given as compensation.
The 2008–2009 academic year saw a renovation of the bar. The bar was painted and improvements made to both its facilities, including the purchase of a television, Nintendo Wii, large sofas, and a table football machine. Also introduced was a cocktail menu.
The bar hosts events throughout the year, notably the semi-annual "Price Crash", at which a "stock-market" of drink prices fluctuates in real-time as drinks are sold. Prices are displayed on monitors, prompting patrons to compete against each other for low-price drinks.
Charity events
Each year residents of Allen Hall stage a Children in Need fundraiser by attempting to stop traffic on adjacent Wilmslow Road, requesting donations from passing vehicles and pedestrians. It has become such a well-known event that many drivers come ready with their money in hand. On average, between £1000-£2000 is raised each year on a single morning. The fire alarm is set off promptly at 7am to signal the start of the event and students typically participate in their nighttime wear. In 2005-6, the hall raised more money for charitable causes than any other in Manchester, with over £4,200 donated to causes including the Pakistan Earthquake Appeal, Christie Hospital, the Catholic Children's Rescue Society and the BBC's Children In Need.
On March 25, 2006 some 58 residents of the hall gathered to break the Guinness World Record for the 'Longest Line of Dancing Drag Queens.' The title had formerly been held by students of Nottingham University and stood at 49. The event raised approximately £600 for Christie Hospital in Withington. The record has since been broken elsewhere.
References
- ↑ "Hall News: A Message from the Warden". Hall News: A Message from the Warden. Retrieved 2013-06-16.
External links
Coordinates: 53°26′52″N 2°13′07″W / 53.44778°N 2.21861°W
