Scholar's Wing

Living Learning Community: Scholar’s Wing

The Scholar's Wing is a Living Learning Community (LLC) for students in the Honors College. Conveniently located a few minutes' walk from the Honors College in Hokona Hall, the Scholars Wing offers a living experience that is an extension of the Honors classroom community.

The primary part of the Scholar’s Wing is located on the top floor of Hokona Hall, one of the most revered buildings on campus and sought after by student residents, especially for its location. The third floor has single and double rooms, shared bathrooms, two kitchenette/study lounges, and Entropy lounge- a shared student space specific to the Scholars Wing. The wing's other side is within the Student Residence Center (buildings F and G), a dorm that provides students with additional independence while still living on campus. SRCs are organized as flats, with 6 individual bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, full kitchen and living room. Students often move to SRCs with a group of friends after a year or two in Hokona.

You can find out a lot more specifics about the halls and residence life itself from the Res Life webpage. 

Entropy Lounge

An amenity of the Scholars Wing that students especially enjoy is the Entropy lounge. It's a converted dorm room on the third floor of Hokona, outfitted with a few things to help students hang out, connect with each other, and to get their work done. We've got

• Two computers and a printer stocked with paper (and unlike the other computer pods, you don’t need to leave the building)
• Enough board games to shake a stick at
• A comfy couch and TV
• A considerably extensive library of books students might actually want to pick up

Entropy is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Faculty Advisor, Dr. C

Room 300 in Hokona Hall is where you can find Dr. Chris Holden, associate professor at the Honors College. Dr. C began teaching in Honors in 2008 and his PhD is in number theory (University of Wisconsin - Madison). He teaches about both math and videogames in Honors, and his research mostly involves helping people to make games somehow connected to learning, especially those who wouldn't otherwise be making games. Dr. C spends some of each week on the Wing providing students with opportunities to come and ask questions, get advice, complain about their classes, and even get some help with their homework. Dr. C always has plenty of snacks and tea on hand, a pack of ramen if you get hungry, and even has some pens and notebooks handy if you run out at a bad time. From cooking dinner for the students, to planning events with the RAs, to making sure the printer in Entropy has enough paper and the shelves are full of board games, Dr. C is a professor that students can talk to and get support from.

Noticias

For decades, students on the Wing have produced a weekly newsletter Noticias. They deliver it each Friday afternoon to the Scholars Wing SRC and the whole of Hokona. Whether it's an upcoming event, a poem, comic, or a rant, students are encouraged to submit their work each week so that it can show up under their fellow students' doors. Each year, one to two students take on the role of editor, taking in submissions, assembling each issue, and then printing and delivering it. These editors are credited with independent study credit in the Honors College, and overseen by Dr. C. The Honors College provides printing for this simple, fun publication.

Student Programming

Between Dr. C, the RAs, CA, Res Life, etc. there's always something going on in the halls. With so many people and groups who see it as their mission to bring students together, events range farther than you can imagine. Dr. C even has some funding for students on the wing to propose and help organize their own ideas and events. If you’ve got an idea for how to bring students together, it could be anything from providing popcorn for a movie club to metal and tools for a chainmail making workshop, just come find Dr. C!

Questions?

Moving somewhere new, especially starting out at college, can feel weird and scary, at least unsure. But there are lots of people who can help you get a sense of what awaits you or help you think through how you’ll find your niche.

For formal concerns, things like application procedures, dates, fees, and such, it’s best to get in touch with Residence Life & Student Housing at 505.277.2606 (24/7 Help Desk) or housing@unm.edu. 

If you’ve got more conversational questions or want to know more about what life on the Scholars Wing is like, Dr. C is always happy to hear from you at cholden@unm.edu, as are the Pathmakers, student mentors within the Honors College at pathmakers@unm.edu. Pretty much anyone you can find in our directory will be happy to help you out and give you their own perspective on the place!