What Are the NSA Halls?

“The halls are designed to develop student leaders,” Ryan Sundlie said. Mr. Sundlie is the Head of Student Activities at New Saint Andrews College, and he coordinates the halls at the college. The hall system at NSA groups students into three houses or halls so they interact and work more closely with each other. The halls shape students by giving them opportunities to develop leadership skills. The three halls are named Jericho, Ashdown, and Malta.

The mission of the three halls at NSA is to engage and inspire the student body to self-government, leadership, competition, and excellence. 

Mr. Sundlie said, “The halls do not define students' circles, but provide a venue for interaction and fellowship that helps students to get better acquainted with one another and less likely to be lost in the crowd.” The three halls bring together students from all the classes: freshmen up to seniors. This means that freshman students can fellowship and work with upperclassmen. This also allows upperclassmen to mentor younger students who are new to the college. 

Each hall is named after a battle at which Christian soldiers fought against all odds.

When the faithful endure, the Christian West flourishes. 

Jericho Hall is named after the battle of Jericho, described in the sixth chapter of the book of Joshua. God's orders were for all of the mighty men of valor to march around the city of Jericho, following His precise commands for six days. At dawn on the seventh day, the armed men, the trumpet-bearing priests, the ark of the covenant, and the rear guard circled the city six times. On the seventh lap, Joshua commanded the people to "Shout, for the Lord has given you the city!" As God had promised, so He did. At the Battle of Jericho, God caused the shouts of the Israelites to bring down the walls of Jericho. This victory began Israel’s advance, under the leadership of Joshua, into the Promised Land.

Ashdown Hall is named after the Battle of Ashdown, which was fought in 871 between the West Saxons, led by King Æthelred and his younger brother Alfred, and the invading Danish Viking army. At the battle, the Saxons defeated the Danes and killed their king, Bagsac, and five of his lords. Although fighting between the Danes and Saxons continued for decades, the tide turned under Alfred, who beat them steadily back during his reign. Alfred’s faithful work as king brought reformation to the land and set England on its path to becoming a great Christian nation.  

Malta Hall is named after the Great Siege of Malta when, in 1565, Christian knights and soldiers stood in the gap against the onslaught of Isalm in the West. For twenty-one years, the military order known as the Knights Hospitaller had been stationed on Malta when in 1551, the Ottoman Empire made a failed attempt to take the island. Then, in 1565, under the direction of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Turks launched a second attack on the island. Over the course of four months, five hundred Knights Hospitaller and six thousand Christian foot soldiers successfully held off the Turkish armada, which outnumbered them five to one. Their victory was celebrated throughout Christendom and proved pivotal in halting the advance of Islam in the West.

NSA created the three-hall system a few years ago, and it has become an integral part of the college culture, which aims to shape leaders. The halls have made the student body stronger. Mr. Sundlie said that each hall is forming its own unique traditions and characteristics, and these will continue to take more noticeable shape. This means students are making the halls their own, and the halls are becoming an important part of the college.

Mr. Sundlie explained that there is also a competition between the halls throughout each academic year.

The halls compete against each other in athletics, arts, and academics.

He said, “These competitions create situations of testing, accountability, and performance under pressure, which shape students into leaders as they work toward a common goal with their classmates.” At the end of the year, one hall wins the NSA Cup. 

NSA's hall system plays a crucial role in fostering a strong sense of community among students at the college. This supportive community is one of the most valuable aspects of studying and learning at NSA. Unlike other colleges where students can feel like just another face in the crowd, NSA's halls provide a space for students to work together and support one another. This close-knit community helps to shape students into future leaders during their time at the college.