By Erin McElwee Staff writer
Susquehanna may be a small campus, but there are plenty of spots that are unknown to many students.
One such spot is the Scholars House.
The Scholars House is a small building on campus, but it offers many resources to Susquehanna students.
Located across from the Degenstein Campus Center and adjacent to the West Village basketball courts, the Scholars House is home to the Women’s Resource Center, the Honor’s Program offices and just under 25 residents living in double and single rooms.
Krista White, a sophomore music and physics major, is a resident in the Scholars House this year and was placed there after transferring to Susquehanna this year.
“Overall, I absolutely love living in the Scholars House,” White said.
“Since I am a transfer student and was not given the option to choose my housing situation, I could not be more pleased to have a single in this building,” she added.
“The rooms are quite spacious, and the bathrooms have enough facilities for the amount of students residing in the building,” White said.
Students from any major and background can live in the Scholars House.
White said that this year many transfer students were placed there, which eased the transition into Susquehanna.
Though the residence building is small, it often combines building programming with the nearby GO House and West Hall.
White said this helps the small building branch out and connect with other halls throughout campus.
“Since the Scholars and GO Houses are so small in terms of student population, the integration of programming for these two residence halls with the larger West Hall makes the programs put on by staff more popular and fun,” she said.
White also enjoys the Scholars House because of her love of music.
She said: “In previous years, the Scholars House was the Music Scholars House. There are actually two pianos still in the building from this time.”
White said if she could change something about the Scholars House, it would be the addition of a communal kitchen for students.
While there is a microwave for students’ use, she said she feels “many students in this housing community would benefit from and definitely use a community kitchen.”
The Scholars House also offers services to students who do not reside there.
It houses offices for the Susquehanna Honors Program and the university’s Women’s Resource Center.
The Women’s Resource Center is a place where students can get involved on campus. The center offers internship opportunities to women’s studies students.
When thinking of a place on campus to live, the Scholars House may not be the first building most students think of, but White feels that it is a hidden gem on the Susquehanna campus.
“I feel like a lot of people who go to Susquehanna don’t even know that the Scholars House is an option or where the building even is,” White said.
“However, if you are an independent person and like having time to relax and unwind, I definitely recommend the Scholars House,” she added.
Erica Stephenson, the institutional research analyst at Susquehanna, has an office located in the Scholars House.
She said the Scholars House is a very attractive place for students to choose for a housing option.
“Probably the most common things we hear from students is the fact that the majority of rooms are singles,” Stephenson said.
“It’s also great because it’s a small building—less than 25 residents—but it’s set up in the traditional style, with bedrooms off of the main corridor, so there’s the opportunity to form a solid community with a small group of friends,” Stephenson added.
She also added that the location of the building makes this house attractive to students, as it is right behind Degenstein Campus Center.
