There are around 23 dorms at SLC. Most of the older ones are integrated with classrooms in mixed-use buildings, owing to William Van Duzer Lawrence’s belief that there should be no separation between academic and recreational life. Because of zoning laws, the newer dorms don’t conform to his vision, but it remains a distinctive aspect of residential life on campus.
As reported by Anna Fauerbach ’10:
“A large majority of SLC students (around 90%) live on campus. Most first-years live in triples, while sophomores usually live in singles or spacious doubles, and upperclassmen almost exclusively live in singles. Housing consists of an eclectic mix of traditional dorms, cooperative apartments, and houses, and is decided by a lottery, so everyone has an equal shot at landing their dream dorm regardless of their academic or social standing. SLCers are pretty spoiled when it comes to spaciousness: first-years are the only students who live in triples, and it’s very rare than anyone after sophomore year would live in a double. Unfortunately, not all dorms have common rooms or kitchens.
The housing on main campus basically consists of the creatively-named Old and New Dorms, which are really neither old nor new. The New Dorms are the most traditional setup, with each hall housing over 20 students who share a common bathroom. There are singles, a few doubles, and a whole lot of triples. New Dorm triples are tiny, and easily qualify as the worst housing on campus. The upside is that hallmates tend to become very close, and their future housing assignments will feel like a palace. Old Dorms are set up such that two rooms share a bathroom. The rooms tend to be more spacious than those in the New Dorms. Neither set of dorms has a full-out kitchen, though there are a few student-use kitchens scattered throughout main campus.
Hill House is a recently-purchased apartment building that also contains some tenants who are not associated with the college. Their leases were extended to allow them time to move out, and there is frequent tension between these residents and students. It’s about a 5- to 10-minute walk from main campus, but most apartments have common areas, and all have full kitchens and refrigerators. Because of its apartment setup and relative distance from main campus, Hill House affords students a greater sense of independence than some of the other options.
Slonim Woods and Andrew’s Court are small, townhouse-style dorms with common rooms, kitchens, and a bunch of singles. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors can petition to live there with a group of friends, so these dorms are usually pretty tight-knit and host a lot of parties, and their privacy and spaciousness make them a perfect setting for socializing. Similarly, the Mead Way houses are gorgeous full-size abodes lining an entire street. There are singles and doubles, so students in every class sometimes get lucky enough to live on Mead Way. Dozens of students can live in each house, so it’s not uncommon for residents to not know all of their housemates, but there are massive kitchens and most houses have common rooms.”
Karen R. Lawrence became SLC’s 10th president on August 1, 2007. Dr. Lawrence is a widely respected English literature scholar and teacher who has published five books as well as a multitude of articles in academic journals. She attended Smith College from 1967 to 1969 and received a B.A. in English from Yale University in 1971, one of the first women to earn an undergrad degree from Yale after it became coeducational. She earned her M.A. in English from Tufts University and her Ph.D. in English, with distinction, from Columbia University.
As reported by Anna Fauerbach ’10:
“The 2007–2008 academic year was Karen Lawrence’s (coincidence, we swear!) first as president of SLC. Authority figures are always viewed with suspicion at our college, but President Lawrence’s first year could be called a success. At least part of the reason she was chosen is her history as a successful fundraiser at UC Irvine, where she had served as dean of humanities since 1998. Other points cited in her appointment by the Board of Trustees were her energetic establishment of interdisciplinary liberal arts programs and her proven commitment to excellence in undergraduate education. Making her especially fit for the job, President Lawrence’s interests include James Joyce and feminist theory. In her first year, she has already made a commitment to making the campus more environmentally friendly and has spoken about plans for revamping admissions, housing, and funding.”
J.J. Abrams (1988) is a writer, executive producer, and screenwriter. While attending SLC he wrote a treatment for the film that would be released as "Taking Care of Business." He is also the co-creator and executive producer of the television series "Felicity," "Alias," and the Emmy Award-winning "Lost."
Alice Walker (1965) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author most famous for her novel "The Color Purple."
Barbara Walters (1951) is a broadcast journalist, writer, and media personality who has appeared on 20/20, The ABC Evening News, Today, and The View.
Vera Wang (1971) is a fashion designer best known for her bridal work.
