In the College of Arts and Sciences, you’ll learn and grow outside the classroom as well as inside. The College is home to two Living-Learning Centers: Atkins Living-Learning Center and Collins Living-Learning Center. Each of these communities has a unique spirit and culture, and offers unprecedented opportunities for academic and social growth in warm and welcoming spaces.
A Living-Learning Center is a residential space designed to bring students interested in common goals together. In addition to being a residence hall, an LLC has funding, dedicated facilities, staff support, and distinct academic options. You must apply to live in an LLC.
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The Atkins LLC at Forrest is this Living-Learning Center that is connected to the AAADS department, the African and African American Diaspora Studies Department. On this floor, there's a lot of people who either have AAADS minors, majoring in that, or have an interest in the ethnic studies or black studies. Overall, the floor is for anybody who's interested in cultural enrichment at IU.
So I think the benefit of having a community like Atkins is when you're on campus and you're walking around, you're going to your classes,you might not see a bunch of students who look like you on campus. So when you can come back and have that community and see people who look like you and live with people who look like you, and converse, and not feel like you have to change yourself, I think that really is the importance of Atkins. It just gives black students and other students as well, a safe place in the community for them to go to and reside in, especially when they might not see people who look like them on campus.
I thought it was just a perfect space for me to start getting ready to learn about AAADS as a department. And just overall meeting other people who are interested and have similar interest to me.
The Atkins LCC requires students to take classes within the AAADS program. It actually really does help you push for a minor. The thing about Atkins is we have a lot of connections within the AAADS program. Our own director is the director of the AAADS program, so it opens up a lot of different connections.
We do a lot of floor things together, like we have monthly meetings, and we talk about the goals we had accomplished that month. We have events where we decorate the lounge area depending on the holiday season.
Everybody really does have a connection with each other. I can honestly name every single person on my floor, and I probably talk to them on a numerous amount of occasions. You have that direct connection with your assistant director, and then your director in general, and those people really do help you, and they pour into you. A lot of different LLCs, especially Atkins, has committees and executive positions. It's a very just chill floor, like I feel like I don't think I could have expected any better, honestly. I think I'm very happy of the, the place I chose. Atkins has been an amazing experience for me.
As soon as I had my first day on campus, and I really got to meet the people on my floor, it was 100% determined that I wanted to be on Atkins. Ultimately, like Atkins is a really good resource for people. If you're thinking that you want a community of people who look like you, who you feel are comfortable around, who you can have that connection with, Atkins is the perfect place for you to be.
Atkins LLC is devoted primarily to studying African American history and culture and developing a strong consciousness regarding social justice, inequality, inequity, and humanity. This community emphasizes civility and engagement with the goal of teaching students how to work together to achieve transformation in themselves and in society. Curious, motivated, and engaged students will find that Atkins LLC truly feels like home.
Description of the video:
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I chose Collins because it has a lot of amenities and resources for people who are more creatively inclined. And even if not creatively inclined, just like who want a stronger sense of community. It just seemed like a cute little community, a little grouping of three dorms, um, that seem to have a lot of strong communal emphasis and, just, I don't know, people coming together.
When I came here, um, I was welcome and it was it like it made me super happy.
We provide basically anything you want as far as artistic resources. We also provide writing resources, and, although, yes, we are more of an artsy dorm, you don't have to be artsy, I like it, because of other communal aspects like the Cheshire Cafe we have in the basement, which is like a little student run cafe, as well as like getting involved in leadership opportunities.
We do have our Arts Council. I'm actually dance coordinator at Arts Council. Arts Council is great, because, like, it allows everybody to explore their interest and also learn something new.
Some of the unique opportunities and amenities available to people who live here versus other dorms, um, mostly lie in those artistic studios. So, we have like audio -visual studio. I don't know many other places on campus that have access to a recording space with microphones and a computer. We also have a ceramic studio. Normally you wouldn't see that in a dormatory. We also have like a photography dark room and a print making studio and a painting studio.
Everybody is very chill. Everybody's open-minded, as well, and I've made so many friends here. I've made most of my friends at IU here.
I have definitely made actually just all of my friends in college so far through Collins through my community involvement, through like the Cheshire Cafe. I also get to see a lot of people, like a lot of people, come through line and say hi to me through that. I've also met a lot of really interesting people, and you know it's just nice having some small chitchat at the counter.
Get involved in Collins. Collins has a lot of like little mini groups. Go to one or go to many and find your little niche.
Have a little bit of fun and try to embrace the community aspects. Like, really try to go to community council and go to Arts Council, and I think you'll be surprised with, like, how quickly you can fall in love with it and how much of a difference it can make in your day-to-day life.
Collins LLC is known for its highly motivated students, many of whom have a passion for the arts, self-governance, and sustainability. With its historic neo-gothic architecture and freshly renovated interior spaces, Collins is one of the most beautiful places on campus. You will grow, learn marketable skills, and find lifelong friends as a member of this vibrant community.
