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Home > Program > Special Residential Programs Special Residential ProgramsAcademic and Language Theme Houses Six houses offer programs organized around academic or language themes:
Theme houses enable both majors and non-majors with an active interest in a field to live together and explore a theme in a fun and comfortable residential setting. Theme programs feature lectures, receptions, film series, recitals, in-house seminars, special projects, and language tables, among other activities. Most houses maintain active contact with faculty in the relevant academic departments and programs. Theme houses often host noted scholars, cultural figures, and political leaders. Many theme houses sponsor special activities intended to draw the wider campus community to the house, such as the quarterly Pizzeria at La Casa Italiana, quarterly Cafe Night at La Maison Francaise or the annual EASTFest at EAST House, and Oktoberfest at Haus Mitteleuropa. Non-theme activities are offered in each house as well. For students preparing for or returning from overseas study, the houses with a language theme provide opportunities to continue using the language on a regular basis. One example of regular programming which occurs in most language houses is a weekly dinner for residents and departmental faculty in which all attendees speak the focus language, and feature food from that culture. In addition to a Resident Assistant, student Theme Associates live in each house and help plan theme programs. Theme Associates are generally the primary liasion between the house and their sponsoring academic department. La Casa Italiana has a resident Graduate Theme Associate; Murray and EAST houses also have Resident Fellows. Residents of theme houses must usually commit to taking at least one house seminar (offered quarterly), and in some cases organize a theme project. Murray House has both University dining and custodial service. All other academic/language theme houses have student-managed board plans and University custodial service.
Cross-Cultural Theme Houses Stanford's four cross-cultural theme houses are:
In addition to offering the social and educational opportunities available in any Stanford residence, the cross-cultural houses also feature theme programs exploring American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian, Asian-American, Black/African-American, or Chicano/Latino history and culture. Theme programs include campus-wide events, in-house classes, film and lecture series, group discussions, drama productions, music recitals, and readings by noted authors. Theme houses also sponsor major, campus-wide activities such as Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, an annual celebration organized by Okada; Club Ujamaa, a jazz and casino night in an African-American cultural setting; and Zoot Suit Week, Cinco de Mayo, and Dia de los Muertos celebrations at Casa Zapata. Muwekma-tah-ruk also offers hands-on activities related to American Indian culture, such as pottery workshops, training in beadwork, and holds various activities to interact with members of the local Muwekma-Ohlone tribe. For students living in Casa Zapata, Muwekma-tah-ruk, Okada, or Ujamaa, the educational experience of residence life is enriched by participating in cross-cultural activities. Members of the ethnic groups living in the houses have an opportunity to be a part of a supportive community in that members of that ethnic group are clustered in the house and because the educational program emphasizes and values the cultural identity of the group. The theme programs enable members of the ethnic group and others in the house to learn about and appreciate the group's history and culture. For students who are not members of the ethnic group which is the focus of the house theme, the experience of day-to-day living in a cross-cultural house broadens outlooks, creates opportunities to form new friendships, and encourages an appreciation and understanding of cultural differences. If you are considering accepting an assignment to a cross-cultural theme house, it is important that you realize that all residents - whether members of the theme's ethnic community or not - are expected to support the house's activities, theme-related or not. For the houses to be successful, all residents need to participate in the range of house meetings and programs. The residence staff - a Resident Fellow, Resident Assistants, and Theme Associates - are aware of the special nature of their residences and seek to encourage and help residents work out compromises that make the houses comfortable places for all students who live there. The staffs are also committed to the houses' theme programs and work actively to encourage participation of all residents in theme activities. All students who accept assignment to a cross-cultural theme house are expected to enter the houses with a cooperative attitude, with an open mind about living in a theme house, and with some willingness to examine attitudes about race and ethnicity in our society. Note: Ethnic priorities for assignment to Casa Zapata, Muwekma-tah-ruk, Okada, and Ujamaa are automatically issued to Chicano/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian, Asian-American, and Black/African-American students, respectively, based on ethnic data supplied by the Registrar's Office. In addition, each cross-cultural theme house offers a special priority to all students, regardless of ethnicity, who meet certain objectively defined criteria. (See Priorities and Special Priorities.)
Focus Houses Focus houses feature special house programs that focus on a specific area. Like other residences, focus houses offer diverse programs on many different issues. In addition, however, a portion of house programs examine a specific field in greater depth. Student Focus Assistants live in each house--along with a Resident Fellow and Resident Assistants--and help plan focus programs. The houses serve as forums for both residents and nonresidents to come together to discuss issues related to the house focus and to meet with faculty members from the focus area. The relaxed residential setting allows students to interact informally with other residents who are interested in learning more about the focus subject. Focus houses offer a special priority for assignment to a limited number of spaces in each house. The remaining spaces are available to any student, regardless of priority. Students with a special priority who are assigned to a focus house are expected to help plan and participate in focus programs and fulfill the requirements for obtaining a priority. Students without a special priority who are assigned to a focus house are not required to participate in focus programs, but are strongly encouraged to do so. Students may also take part in other traditional dorm activities, such as trips to the City, movie nights, IMs, and study breaks. The nine focus houses are: Symbolic Systems and Related Majors. Arroyo is the Symbolic Systems and Related Majors Focus House. Students majoring or minoring in symbolic systems, computer science, psychology, philosophy, linguistics, communication, or other fields in which the study of human thinking and/or information technology should find programming in the house particularly targeted at their interests. The only three-class house in Wilbur, Arroyo combines an enjoyable social atmosphere with special resources related to the focus. A high-technology collaborative space, the "CoLab", is available for group meetings and project work involving residents. Dinner events involving speakers at the Symbolic Systems Forum are often held on Thursdays at special "topic tables" in the Wilbur Dining Hall. Arroyo also maintains an associates email list for nonresidents who want to participate in dorm events, especially related to the focus. Many non-focus events happen as well, giving the dorm a well-rounded atmosphere that is especially friendly to deep discussions. Human Biology. Storey House is the Human Biology Focus House. House focus programs explore a variety of topics related to the Human Biology Program, from drugs to AIDS to extraterrestrial intelligence. A Faculty Fellows program includes dinners, fireside chats, and dessert fondue with affiliated faculty members. Focus Assistants expand programming opportunities by planning field trips to sites such as the Exploratorium, Jasper Ridge, and anatomy labs. Global Affairs. “Global affairs” is understood to include a wide range of issues having current international significance, including but not limited to globalizing developments in political, economic, scientific, medical, and cultural realms. Residents will be encouraged to link their own personal and academic interests in organizing dorm programs. These might include inviting scholars, government officials, specialists, or community activists to speak in the dorm or organizing special workshops and fieldtrips. Special attention might be given to examining current international conflicts, transnational social or cultural trends, issues of human rights or social justice, ethnic/racial conflict resolution, or challenges the medical or environmental fields. Castaño is a community where personal support, active intellectual engagement, and thoughtful, constructive debate are ever-present. Humanities. Lantana, located in Manzanita Park, is an upper-class dormitory with approximately 100 residents. About 30 residents will draw into the house under special priority after making a commitment to participate directly in the dorm's educational focus on the humanities. The humanities include such fields as English, history, philosophy, religious studies, classics, comp lit, Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities, and languages and literature. Lantana seeks to establish a critical mass of residents who enjoy discussing good literature, studying the past, thinking hard about philosophical problems, writing poetry and fiction, mastering ancient or foreign languages, and trying to understand the ideas, values, and practices of people utterly different from themselves. Students will interact regularly with world-renowned scholars in the humanities, rub shoulders daily with peers who understand their academic interests, and enjoy a ready forum to share and test out their own ideas. They will participate in events designed to enhance their own study of the humanities, build community among students in various humanistic disciplines, and promote the humanities in the dorm and on campus. A weekly 1 - unit seminar and activities throughout the year structure this focus. Priority invitations will be issued based on the commitment to the humanities demonstrated in each application, as determined by the Resident Fellows. The Ideals of Entrepreneurism and Community Development. Casa Naranja at Lagunita Court is the Entrepreneurial Ideals Focus House. We are taking an interest in the study of the formation of character within the growing entrepreneurial community and its need to maintain a relationship to the development and improvement of communities at large. We hope to better understand its capacity for inculcating a range of 21st century values and ethics like passion, discovery, resource innovation, decentralization (interdependence), communication (dialogue systems), and social responsibility through the consideration of both economic and social return on investment. It is the synthesis of these ideals and others, within the context of a global economy increasingly driven by the spirit of entrepreneurial opportunity and venture capital investment, that individuals and communities will grow and prosper. The Naranja community will focus on building awareness of the need for the continuing development of a set of ideals within the entrepreneurial community through interactions with guests, debates, discussions, and programs. Our residents will bring an enthusiasm for exploring the link between entrepreneur-based economic development and social awareness and responsibility. Environmental Issues. Robinson House in Sterling Quadrangle is the Environmental Issues Focus House. Programs concentrate on regional, national, and international environmental issues, including legal, economic, and technical aspects. A Faculty Fellows program includes dinners, fireside chats, and desserts with affiliated faculty members interested in environmental issues. Focus Assistants expand programming opportunities and plan field trips. Arts and Performing Arts. Kimball Hall is the Arts and Performing Arts Focus House. The house focuses on programs that explore topics related to how the fine and creative arts interact and relate in aspects of the performing arts. A Faculty Fellows program includes dinners, fireside chats, and desserts with affiliated faculty members interested in the creative and performing arts. Focus Assistants expand programming opportunities and plan field trips to art galleries, poetry readings, and opera, dance, musical, and theatrical performances. Sophomore Priority House. Toyon Hall offers residential programming tailored to meet the needs of second-year students. As the first Stanford house with an all-sophomore emphasis, Toyon provides two major opportunities: First is the chance to bond a major part of an entire class just as an all-frosh house does. The staff intends to begin with a strong sophomore orientation which gets everyone in the house to meet and learn something about each other. Then, continuing through the year, the house will have programming intended to encourage social interaction like camping trips, outings, dances, and the like. Toyon should be a place where all its residents can feel comfortable, relaxed, and totally at home. The second opportunity is the chance to address concerns unique to the sophomore experience: choosing careers, declaring majors, and giving academics greater attention. The house will have more interaction with faculty on a regular basis and special advising programs. Students should choose Toyon because they want to combine the social energy of their freshman year with the excitement of moving into the more serious adventures of the sophomore year. The Toyon staff wants the class of 2002 to find Toyon a wonderful place to catalyze their shared experience and creativity. Note: A special priority for assignment to Toyon is issued automatically to current first-year students who list Toyon as a residence choice on their housing application. Unlike other focus houses, however, there is no limitation on the number of spaces in Toyon that can be filled by priority. Freshman/Sophomore Residential College. The Freshman/Sophomore College, housed in Adams and Schiff in Sterling Quadrangle, is a residence for 90 freshmen and 90 sophomores who are interested in broad intellectual exploration of the liberal arts and sciences. Entering students (freshmen) have the option of living for two years in the College. As the residential complement of Stanford Introductory Studies (SIS), the College connects residential life with the mentoring and academic activities offered through SIS courses. SIS courses include Introduction to the Humanities, Freshman and Sophomore Seminars, the Science Mathematics and Engineering Core, and Writing and Critical Thinking. For more information, read the Freshman/Sophomore Residential College page.
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