For students attending Stan State, the current college scenery is dominated by Zoom classrooms, textbook pages, and electronic screens. It has been over a year since students have had the opportunity to get a breath of fresh air while walking the school’s campus between classes. For some, there has been zero to minimal time spent on the campus they hope to call their alma mater someday.
With talk of a potential return to in-person class, there is no time like the present for students to begin to regain some familiarity with their campus and refresh their memories on what some of the significant buildings on campus look like.
The Demergasso-Bava Hall (DBH) is one of the first buildings many students see to start their day as it is right next to the student parking lot off of Crowell Rd. The campus website provides the floorplan for the building to assist students in navigating the many halls. Under normal circumstances, the courtyard in the middle of DBH is often full of students socializing and studying as they await their next class.
The College of Business Administration and College of Education are located in DBH as well as the departments of communication studies, computer science, and liberal studies, which can lead to students studying those disciplines to become very familiar with the building in no time at all.
Returning students and alumni will recognize the amphitheater right next to DBH as the location that hosts graduation and Warrior Day. Those who are new to campus may be drawn to the open area with ample room to enjoy the outdoors between classes. With the upcoming graduation announced to be an in-person event, the amphitheater will be host to the return of many students completing the next step of their educational journey.
While on the topic of enjoying the outdoors, the park surrounding Sequoia Lake on the western side of campus next to the Amphitheater provides students with an alternative study location outside of traditional options such as the library.
Ryan Paramo (alumni, Gender Studies) is one of the many students who took advantage of the scenic location. “One favorite location was the bridge and pond by the art buildings. It was a really peaceful spot that could relax your mind and get away from school for a little bit while you just listened to the flow of the waterfall.”
As mentioned by Paramo, the Bernell and Flora Snider Music Recital Hall, as well as the music building, is located right next to the park surrounding Sequoia Lake. These buildings are home to the School of Arts: Art, Music, and Theater as well as an art gallery that is host to a wide variety of both student and visiting artists. For those navigating the building, the campus website provides a floor map as assistance.
As students make their way further into campus, they may notice a large amount of construction currently taking place at the Vasche Library. Although the building is currently unavailable while the construction is taking place, many of the services offered in the library have been relocated to the Library Annex Buildings across from DBH.
For students curious about the status of the renovations taking place at the Vasche Library, The Signal covered the latest updates here.
One of the other main buildings that returning students will be familiar with and new students will become quickly acquainted with is the Dorothy and Bill Bizzini Hall, which is often simply called “Bizzini”. With classrooms divided between both the second and first floor, the campus website provides a floor map to assist students in locating where their classes are.
Bizzini Hall is also the primary location for many different departments including Agricultural Studies, Economics, History, Ethnic Studies, Political Science and Public Administration; Anthropology, Geography, and Social Sciences; Child Development and Psychology; and Criminal Justice and Sociology, according to the campus website.
Located near Bizzini hall is also the Main Dining Hall were students and faculty can grab a bite to eat during their busy day or just take a seat and catch their breath.
Andre Davis (junior, Biology) lists the dining hall as one of his top go-to locations on campus. “It’s pretty much where most of the students gather and spend their time between classes. It had plenty of available seating that allowed you to enjoy conversation and study time with friends whether it be inside or out of the building. Sometimes I would even be able to nap between classes.”
With the outdoor seating allowing quick access to the quad, this central location is frequented by many of the students on campus.
“Being able to sit at the many benches in the area and relax in the sun between classes and practice for sports was always pleasant,” explains Amy Pedretti (alumni, Gender Studies)
One of the newer additions to campus that even returning students may not have many memories of is the University Student Center. With significant room for students to study and socialize, the University Student Center also is home to the bookstore, Warrior Grill, and the ASI and SC Front Desk.
Moving away from the quad brings students to the Mary Stuart Rogers Educational Gateway Building (MSR). MSR is home to many of the administrative offices on campus as well as a wide variety of student services.
The CSU Stanislaus website explains the many services provided in the MSR building; “The first floor houses student services, including financial aid, admissions and outreach, cashier’s office, and University Extended Education (UEE). Also on the first floor are the Office of International Education, and Graduate School. On the second floor are Business & Finance, Student Support Services, the Educational Opportunity Program, and the Academic Success Center. On the third floor are the President’s Office, the Provost’s Office, Human Resources, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Student Affairs, Faculty Affairs, and University Advancement including Communications & Public Affairs.”
As students make their way across campus, they will continue on to find the Science 1 Building. Science 1 is home to the departments of mathematics, philosophy, and modern languages as well as the School of Nursing.
With ample seating for studying both outside and inside the building, this location is often heavily populated before and after classes despite the relocation of the bookstore from across the walkway.
The Naraghi Hall of Science is found on the opposite side of campus from DBH, which means students who go from one to the other for back-to-back classes may have to rush a bit more than normal. Naraghi is host to many faculty offices, an observatory, and multiple science project rooms.
“I always did love the Naraghi Hall because the air felt crisp and clean because they keep it freezing in there. It made it great to study because you knew you wouldn’t be able to fall asleep,” explains Brionna Freitas (alumni, Business Administration)
There are countless areas on campus that students can benefit from knowing about. Knowing what the main buildings look like can help shake the nerves of trying to find a class for the first time. As Stan State make moves towards returning to in-person learning, we hope that students find this photo tour helpful as they begin to navigate the campus once again.