Rakhi Agrawal reports from last night’s Columbia College Student Council meeting---the council's antepenultimate meeting of the semester:
Martinez and her convent: Dean of Community Development and Multicultural Affairs Terry Martinez updated the council on renovations to the former convent house house located on West 113th Street, which is being converted into undergraduate residence halls. The three connected brownstones will house about 72 students. Martinez hosted a town hall earlier this semester to get student input on designing the residence halls, but the event was poorly attended, and so she has been going to the student councils to solicit feedback.
Set in stone: Martinez said that the new residence hall will definitely be used as special-interest housing, given the many special interest communities that applied for a brownstone and the number of groups that are interested in establishing living and learning communities. Council members suggested several possible themes for the new housing, including a creativity/innovation building for groups like the Application Development Initiative, Writers House, a performing arts community, an international house, a center for wellness or women’s issues, interfaith special interest housing, and a social justice building. Martinez will host another town hall after Thanksgiving, and administrators will choose a theme by semester's end.
