ATOM learning community to receive new housing near Casa

By Jack Gillum

A group of Santa Clara students will experience science with a touch of Sicily in part of the university's expansion of its Residential Learning Community (RLC) program.

Begining next fall, members of the science-oriented ATOM RLC will enjoy new facilities and a changing theme that encapsulates the Italian culture currently seen in the Casa Italiana residence hall.

The building project, designed as an addition to Casa Italiana, adds hundreds of new beds, more classroom space and a lot of spare things that traditionally aren't part of a residence hall, according to Joe Sugg, the vice president for operations at Santa Clara.

Some of the expansion's features are similar to the layout and design of Sobrato Hall, including two new seminar rooms and a 2,000-square foot community commons. Residents' rooms will be beyond the community area, controlled by the familiar swipe-access cards.

The front part the building - what administrators call a sort-of "downtown" - will be similar to the community-oriented spaces seen in and around the current Sobrato Commons. A new entrance will be set near the front of the community area.

Philip Kesten, chair of the physics department and faculty director of ATOM, envisions cultural celebrations with a scientific twist in the traditionally Italian-themed residence hall.

Some proposed activities include a guest lecture program with the University of Perugia in Italy and a potential Italian exchange program in the future. Visiting scientists would stay in the planned guest apartments and may offer lectures to the RLC students, said Kesten.

Other Italian aspects added to the building include a potential piazza on the roof with tables and umbrellas, and even a rebuilt Bocce Ball court, previously removed during the early phases' renovation, according to Sugg.

Kesten also envisions a Festa Italiana, where several times a year residents will enjoy food, learn about famous Italian scientists and even take part in processions seen in similar festivals in Boston, Mass.

"The students have to participate, but they will enjoy it," said Kesten, "A lot of what we want to do is driven by what the students want to do, and people are excited about it."

In a recent survey given to his RLC, Kesten said the results showed that an overwhelming 80 percent of students wished to move to Casa and "stay with their community."

While the ATOM community was not automatically slated for the move, its proposal offered the most creative way to incorporate Italian heritage - a requisite given the building's Italian donors - and current RLC curriculum, according to Helen Moritz, the vice provost for undergraduate education.

The new facilities, in terms of the RLC program in general and the ATOM community in particular, will make it easier to arrange courses and form study groups, according to Moritz, who oversees the undergraduate RLC program.

"This makes collaborative learning possible," Moritz said. "This ultimately will give [the RLC] a sense of cohesiveness."

The RLC program, begun in the mid-1990s as an experiment to bring university core curriculum to incoming freshmen in a communal setting, will soon see its largest expansion yet. The ultimate goal, laid out by a task force in 2000, includes housing three-fourths of the undergraduate population and adding a total of 11 learning communities.

In a departure away from traditional on-campus living accommodations, the addition to Casa Italiana plans for lower division students occupying eight-person suites and upperclassmen living in apartment-style amenities with four residents each.

While some students have cast doubt on a mixture of these undergraduate living styles, administrators are more optimistic. Linda Franke, the director of Housing and Residence Life, attributes the multi-class Unity House program as a good indicator of success.

"When I think of the expertise and wisdom the older students have, there is so much good to offer than negative in terms of academic and social guidance," said Franke. "The younger students can have a positive effect on their older peers."

Faculty will also have a presence in the building addition, both in terms of residences and office space. The two, three-bedroom apartments will allow for more faculty interaction with the residents, according to Moritz. She believes that represents a continuation of the Jesuit tradition at Santa Clara.

The current project, with an allocated budget at $18.5 million, broke ground last fall. The summer of 2002 was mostly spent clearing the construction site and finishing other preliminary work, said Sugg.

Kesten, overall excited about what the future holds, sees these RLC developments as part of a "sea of change."

"This is very exciting," said Kesten. "This project is not just another residence hall, but a profound change in the way we'll be doing things."