Campus & community, Campus news

A grand reopening for Stiles Hall

The community service center that serves as Berkeley's home away from home for many students has into new quarters in the student union to make way for a new residence hall

By Public Affairs

Kayenna Hatcher, director of Berkeley Scholars to Cal, listens closely. (UC Berkeley photo by Hulda Nelson)

November 7, 2016

Stiles Hall, the community service center that serves as Berkeley’s home away from home for many students, has moved its offices to make way for a new residence hall. Its new space, in the basement of the renovated Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union (entrance from Lower Sproul Plaza). Its grand reopening was Friday, and Berkeley News photographer Hulda Nelson and Berkeley Experience photographer Kenny Gutierrez were there; their photos are below.

“We want this to be a welcoming, positive space for students – a place they can feel at home,” said Stiles Hall Director David Stark.

The campus Food Pantry, Berkeley Scholars to Cal, veteran services, the new Wellness Apparel Project and the Underground Scholars are all part of the Stiles community network and can now be found in the new Stiles at the student union. The space is a temporary home for Stiles, which will move back across Bancroft Way into the new residence hall once it’s built.

Dave Stark, Stiles Hall director, does the honors at Friday's celebration. (Stiles Hall photo by Kenny Gutierrez)

Caleb Martinez of the Underground Scholars Initiative (UC Berkeley photo by Hulda Nelson)

a white board — Members of the Stiles Hall community shared their thoughts on a whiteboard. (UC Berkeley photo by Hulda Nelson)

Stiles Hall Director Dave Stark (UC Berkeley photo by Hulda Nelson)

Alaa Aissi, and ASUC senator (UC Berkeley photo by Hulda Nelson)

Shalita Williams, an Underground Scholar (UC Berkeley photo by Hulda Nelson)

The Food Pantry helps students bridge funding gaps. (UC Berkeley photo by Hulda Nelson)

shoes — Shoes lined up in the Wellness Apparel Project, where students can find bargain athletic gear. (UC Berkeley photo by Hulda Nelson)

The Wellness Apparel Project's new store, in the reopened Stiles. (UC Berkeley photo by Hulda Nelson)

Hafsa Khalid, a Food Pantry intern (UC Berkeley photo by Hulda Nelson)

Alexis Magdaleno, an Underground Scholar (UC Berkeley photo by Hulda Nelson)

Janelle Sales, director of Experience Berkeley, another Stiles organization helping students. (UC Berkeley photo by Hulda Nelson)

More information on some key Stiles programs:

Experience Berkeley provides support to black, Latino, and Native American high school and community college students who are interested in coming to Berkeley. Admission rates for students in the program are three times higher than they are for underrepresented minority applicants overall.

Underground Scholars is creating a prison-to-college pipeline and has become a national model for support of formerly incarcerated students. The program was recently awarded a $500,000 grant to contribute to its growth.

The Food Pantry is another national model, showing one way to address the increasing problem of food insecurity. With a new freezer included in the move to the student union, the Food Pantry can now offer frozen meals as part of the emergency supplemental nutrition support they provide to any undergraduate or graduate student in need.

“In the past, we’ve had about 200 visitors a month. Since we moved into the new space, we’ve had 200 in just one week!” said Ruben Candso, Food Pantry staff adviser. “The student union is easier for students to find and more convenient — they can come between classes or after work.”