{"id":25609,"date":"2022-11-22T05:58:59","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T06:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/?p=25609"},"modified":"2022-11-22T07:53:51","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T07:53:51","slug":"where-on-college-hill-are-students-happiest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/2022\/11\/22\/where-on-college-hill-are-students-happiest\/","title":{"rendered":"Where on College Hill are students happiest?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Arushi Parekh \u201924 described the first time she visited the Sarah Doyle Center for Women and Gender as \u201ca little bit of a treasure hunt.\u201d<\/p>\n

After climbing up the stairs to the center\u2019s second floor, she found a \u201clittle tucked-away hidden room\u201d filled with feminist literature and cozy seating. Now, it\u2019s one of Parekh\u2019s go-to study spots.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really quiet place,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can take a step away from campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sarah Doyle Center \u2014 located on the outskirts of campus at 26 Benevolent St. across from the Keeney Quadrangle \u2014 has served the Brown community since 1974, according to its website.<\/p>\n

Spurred by a proposal by the Working Group on the Status of Women \u2014 a coalition of administrators, faculty, students and employees \u2014 the University opened the SDC with the mission of providing a space so \u201cwomen of all ages could come together to discuss women\u2019s issues,\u201d according to Encyclopedia Brunoniana.<\/p>\n

The SDC now holds meetings for student organizations and events centered around women\u2019s issues, including film screenings and guest speakers. It also boasts a vast collection of feminist literature available to the University community.<\/p>\n

Parekh said that she appreciates the center\u2019s work and presence on campus.<\/p>\n

Though she sometimes makes her way to the center with friends, Parekh said that there is a unique comfort being at the SDC alone. This is especially true for rainy days on College Hill, when she just wants \u201ca place that no one really knows about (so) it’s not overly crowded,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

It \u201cjust feels very serene,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

When Sam Lynch \u201923 is not working in his room, he likes to visit the Fleet Library at the Rhode Island School of Design.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s right near Kennedy Plaza,\u201d Lynch said. \u201cSo you can jump on the bus that comes right outside the tunnel on Thayer Street. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably a 10-minute bus ride.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can use your Brown ID to get there and they have really good food,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1878, the Fleet Library is \u201cone of the oldest independent art college libraries in the country,\u201d according to its website. In 2006, the library moved to its current location on the first and second floors of RISD\u2019s building at 15 Westminster St., an 11-floor dormitory that sits along the Providence River.<\/p>\n

Fleet, which Lynch described as \u201cbig and quiet\u201d with \u201cbeautiful murals,\u201d boasts over 155,000 volumes and 320 print periodical subscriptions focused on architecture, art and design.<\/p>\n

Lynch finds particular comfort in a set of stairs on the first floor of the library lined with multicolored pillows, a regular study spot for both Brown and RISD students. The stairs lead to a \u201csecluded area up top\u201d of Fleet that has a view of buildings across Providence, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a nice place to get off campus and also be in the city a bit,\u201d Lynch said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Calvin Kirk \u201925 often finds his way to Prospect Terrace when he wants a moment to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI go on a walk, and oftentimes that walk will lead to Prospect Terrace because it’s a nice place to sit,\u201d he said. Especially \u201cif you don’t go at sunset, then usually it’s not very crowded.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s this really beautiful place,\u201d said Jesse Hogan \u201924, who first visited the park in his first year to watch a sunset while it was \u201cfreezing cold\u201d outside.<\/p>\n

Situated on a lot at 60 Congdon St., Prospect Terrace was one of the first public parks in the city. Providence residents have been taking in the panoramic views from the terrace since the park first opened in 1869. In 1939, a granite monument to Roger Williams, which includes a 15-foot statue, was completed in the space.<\/p>\n

Today, students, tourists and locals alike gather in the park \u2014 having picnics, playing with their dogs or simply sitting on benches and taking in the view.<\/p>\n

Kirk also tends to frequent the park with friends and enjoys watching the scenic sunset views with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you go and eat dinner there at sunset time, you get a very pretty view of downtown and the State House,\u201d Kirk said. \u201cOne time me and my friends did a little cheese board picnic at sunset up there, and it was very cute and memorable.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Hogan, Prospect Terrace is a scene of comfort \u2014 \u201ca little place to just relax or do my work in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Nadeen Kablawi \u201923 enjoyed sitting at the tables outside of Blue State Coffee on sunny days \u2014 that is, before the coffee shop chain closed its final location on Thayer Street Nov. 17. The storefront is located near multiple popular buildings on the north side of campus, including Andrews and the Nelson Fitness Center.<\/p>\n

Kablawi likes \u201cthe busyness and the hustle and bustle of campus\u201d that she could observe from outside the cafe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like that\u2019s such a good place to work while getting sunshine and seeing people that I know coming from the Nelson or Andrews,\u201d Kablawi said.<\/p>\n

Students expressed disappointment and concern in response to the cafe\u2019s announced closure, The Herald previously reported.<\/p>\n

Until the cafe closed last week, Kablawi often visited the store \u201cthree or four times a week,\u201d she said. Though her friends do not like sitting outside \u201cbecause the sun is harsh,\u201d Kablawi said she enjoys sitting at the tables by herself.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the store\u2019s closure, Kablawi said she is \u201creally sad to see (the store) go and think the store\u2019s closure will leave a hole in the Brown community,\u201d she wrote in an email to The Herald.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout Blue State, Thayer lacks a homey, familiar, comfortable cafe that actually serves good coffee,\u201d she wrote. \u201cI bought a few bags of coffee beans from Blue State on Thursday so hopefully I can make it last a little longer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

The basement of the Engineering Research Center is nearly empty on weekends. For Maddie Simon \u201924, that makes it an ideal spot to study and spend time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s normally quiet and there\u2019s not a lot of people around, which is nice,\u201d Simon said.<\/p>\n

Simon first visited the site as a sophomore. Nowadays, \u201cI probably spend most of my time there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Simon likes to sit in the classrooms and student laboratories scattered in the ERC\u2019s basement. The spot is easy to access \u2014 the basement is located down a flight of stairs immediately ahead of the building\u2019s front entrance.<\/p>\n

Opened in 2017, the Engineering Research Center extends Barus and Holley, the seven-story building between Brook and Hope streets that houses the physics and engineering departments. Among the center\u2019s features are a nanotechnology classroom, a bio cleanroom and the Hazeltine Commons, which includes a cafe frequented by University students.<\/p>\n

The building was supported financially by the BrownTogether Campaign, which has raised over $3 billion for University investments and campus development. The ERC routinely hosts science fairs, club events and conferences.<\/p>\n

As a biomedical engineering student, Simon said she appreciates the opportunity afforded to her by the ERC, specifically its basement, to interact with her peers. \u201cThere\u2019s also a lot of other engineering students who hang out down there,\u201d she said. \u201cEveryone helps each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

With its bright yellow walls, the sixth floor of the Sciences Library is one of the best places for Claire Kim \u201924 to study on campus.<\/p>\n

The SciLi, located on Thayer Street, stands 14 stories tall. Ever since it opened in 1971, its distinctive concrete build has made it a campus landmark.<\/p>\n

The sixth floor currently houses the Center for Language Studies, which facilitates language learning and intercultural connections for undergraduates, graduate students and faculty, according to its website.<\/p>\n

Kim found the sixth floor for the first time this semester, and said that she has been hooked ever since. The floor allows her \u201csome privacy,\u201d especially compared to the library\u2019s basement and mezzanine levels, which Kim said many of her friends prefer for studying.<\/p>\n

She tends to study at the large white tables found at the entrance of the floor, which are flanked by large windows. Occasionally, Kim said she can be found taking a quick two-minute nap on the floor.<\/p>\n

But Kim doesn\u2019t just appreciate the floor for its studious environment. She particularly also enjoys floor six\u2019s view of the sunset \u2014 the west-facing windows in the SciLi flood the room with sunlight.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a giant window in the front because the SciLi overlooks the city,\u201d Kim said. \u201cEven the sixth floor has a nice view of the sunset.\u201d<\/p>\n

To Kim, the sixth floor has a special type of warmth. \u201cThe sunset adds to that impact,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

For Leanna Kish \u201925, the best spot on campus is her own room.
\n\t\t\t\t\tKish decorated her single-occupancy room in Olney House on Wriston Quadrangle \u201cexactly how I want it,\u201d she said. The room is adorned with an abundance of string lights, which illuminate her red, gray and black decorations.<\/p>\n

Wriston, constructed in the early 1950s, hosts both traditional dorms and Greek Life housing. Before its construction, \u201c51 buildings, including houses, shops and the Thayer Street School were razed from the site of the quadrangle,\u201d according to the Wriston Quad\u2019s Encyclopedia Brunoniana entry.<\/p>\n

Kish\u2019s dorm is named after Richard Olney, class of 1856 and a former federal attorney general and secretary of state. Olney was praised by the Boston Transcript in 1897 as a lawyer who gained his reputation \u201cdue to his intellectual strength and sturdy purpose,\u201d according to his Encyclopedia Brunoniana entry.<\/p>\n

Today, Kish lives in her Olney single with her two dogs, Louis and Tinky. \u201cI just hang out there all the time with my dogs,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s how I spend my weekends. \u2026 I\u2019m not big on going out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kish\u2019s room, which also has a small television, is \u201cmy favorite place to be,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Arushi Parekh \u201924 described the first time she visited the Sarah Doyle Center for Women<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25609"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25609"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25609\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25610,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25609\/revisions\/25610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}