At the Residential College, your home and your classroom are the same place: East Quad. As a living-learning community, you live, study, create, eat, and perform all under one roof, so the people down the hall are also the people in your seminar, your rehearsal, and your late-night study session. It is one of the things that makes the RC feel less like a big university and more like a community.
Everything Under One Roof
You do not have to leave the building to throw a pot, rehearse a scene, or grab a coffee between classes. East Quad houses a remarkable set of RC spaces, including the Keene Theater, the RC Art Gallery, music practice rooms, studios for ceramics, printmaking, photography (darkroom), and sculpture, study lounges, East Quad Garden, the Benzinger Library, RC Academic Advising, the Blue Cafe, and the East Quad Dining Hall. All of this lives alongside 850 student rooms, 15+ classrooms, faculty offices, and lounges, so creative and academic life is always just a staircase away.
A few more spaces students love once they find them:
There is a kitchen on the main floor you are welcome to use. Make sure you clean after yourself!
A couple of small, easy-to-miss study rooms are tucked away on the main floor and in the basement, quiet spots that many people never realize are there.
Fish tanks cared for by the Aquarium Club, which was started by an RC student! Just another small, surprisingly beloved part of everyday life in the building.
Your Community
You are never settling in alone. East Quad has a team of trained Residential Staff, including a Resident Advisor (RA) on your floor who builds community, leads activities, and answers questions. Learn more about residential staff and services.
The heart of the hall is the Community Center, where you can meet other students, connect with RAs, find out about upcoming events, and handle the practical stuff like room lock-outs, lost keycards, lost and found, and package pick-up. You can also help shape life in the hall through the student governing system, which includes a Hall Council, a Multicultural Council, and representatives on the Residence Hall Association. Just talk to your RA if you want to get involved.
The Abeng Multicultural Lounge
East Quad is also home to the Abeng Multicultural Lounge. The Abeng multicultural council and lounge were created in 1971 as a result of the Black Action Movement (BAM), and they remain part of the community's history and culture today.
Reserving Rooms and Spaces
Need a room for a class, a meeting, or an event? Eligibility and available spaces vary by your affiliation with the RC and East Quad. See Reserve a Classroom or Meeting Space for the full process.
Last Updated: 07/02/2026
