Everybody’s doing it: high school seniors do it to pretty up those college applications, celebrities do it to compensate for weekend scandals that make the tabloids, and now, Rollins students are doing it to live in Rollins Hall. Starting Fall 2013, Rollins Hall, formerly home to Kappa Kappa Gamma, will be piloted as an alternative housing option: a Service House. The option differs from the traditional dormitories as it requires students to complete ten hours of community service per semester, as well as attend two events hosted by the Service House.
Designed to resonate with the values of service and philanthropy that Rollins instills in its students, the Service House will be open for application to students seeking to enrich themselves through community service. Abby Prokop, Associate Director of Residential Life and Coordinator of Housing, explains that “service and community engagement are at the core of the Rollins mission to educate students for responsible leadership and global citizenship. There is already such a strong student interest in these areas that, when we considered how to best serve our students, providing a Service House was a natural choice.”
Comprised of 15 single rooms and three doubles, the Service House, despite the additional work required of its residents, offers the same standard housing rate as other on-campus residence halls: $5,140/ semester for a single and $3,810/ semester for a double. A meal plan is also required of all residents. “The main incentive is to be surrounded by students who share the same passion and to learn from one another,” comments Prokop. “Living with others who share the same passion as you is a really unique opportunity that rarely happens outside of the college experience.”
Although the Service House is currently listed as Rollins Hall, its location is tentative; Prokop clarifies that Rollins is “ committed to offering service-based housing for the 2013-2014 academic year, whether that location be in Rollins Hall or on a floor of a traditional residence hall. Housing is always fluid based on what buildings on campus have openings. We have to be flexible with decisions that are made regarding building availability.”
Prokop closes by confirming, “students at Rollins are already doing amazing work in [the community service] area; our hope is that providing a Service House where students can inspire and learn from one another will only strengthen their experiences.”
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