By Jackie Rapetti, News Correspondent

Honors students will have more options for Living Learning Communities (LLC),’ starting in’ Fall 2010.

Currently, honors students are housed in International Village in an Honors LLC. With four new LLCs coming in the fall, students will have more options within their honors community.

‘Living among other’ honors students’ has proved to be very helpful. It’s easy to get a group of fellow students together for a study session or to do homework together and I’m also meeting new friends this way,’ said Jacob Kamholz, a freshman biology major who currently resides in the Honors LLC.

As published in a press release on Northeastern’s website, each of the new Honors LLCs will reflect an element of the university’s academic engagement with the world.

The four new Honors Living Learning Communities that are being introduced are as follows according to the press release:

‘bull;’ Science, Technology, and Human Values ‘- Focus on behavioral neuroscience and pharmacy, engineering, and’ computer science
‘bull; Social Development ‘- Focus on international business, entrepreneurship and’ sustainable economic development’
‘bull; Conflict and Peace Building ‘- Focus on contemporary conflicts, negotiations and peace processes’
‘bull; Inquiry, Advocacy, and the Social World ‘- Focus on public policy, practice and social issues

While there are currently 14 others on campus, there was never a selection specific to honors students other than the Honors LLC. Students currently in the Honors LLC feel that the four additions will be a positive change.

While Elizabeth Cherchia, a freshman civil engineering major, said she probably wouldn’t choose to live in one of the four new LLC’s she said she’ thinks ‘they would be very attractive to someone whose studies focus on one of the topics addressed by the LLC. I will, however, continue to live in the honors LLC next year.’

Regardless of which LLC students choose to live in Cherchia agrees with Kamholz that ‘they are very beneficial to students; they give them a common interest and therefore a way to kind of ‘break the ice’ in making friends, as well as a group of people interested in the same issues and pursuing the same major as they are.’

All of the new LLCs will also include a first-year inquiry course, an interdisciplinary seminar, support for competitive grants and awards, in addition to the existing opportunities that are a part of Honors at Northeastern, according to the press release.

Cherchia said that living in an LLC has benefited her socially and academically.

‘Living in the honors LLC is especially helpful to me because many of the people I live with are also engineering majors, and therefore are in the same classes as me. Because of this I have a ready-made pool of potential friends and study partners.’

LLCs are popular on campus for both honors and non-honors students. Being surrounded by students with similar interests and/or studies is intended to help foster friendships and growth in learning within the Northeastern community. Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Life, Philomena Mantella, noted that the new Honors LLCs are part of Northeastern’s student-centered approach to education, according to the press release.

With the push from President Aoun to make Northeastern a more global university, the new LLCs help inform students on global issues and events. Some students said they found it easier to’ make friends and form study groups. LLCs are optional for students living on campus but’ students like Kamholz find the new LLCs useful.’
‘When I’m not doing homework I know there is someone I know living close by to hang out with as well,’ he said.