Faculty live with and teach students in residence halls
By Adrienne Frank

(From American Magazine, Fall 2006)
1 of 3 pages

From left, resident associates Justin Angotti and Becca Krichinsky with John Richardson and the cast and crew from My Celebrity Home

John Richardson remembers the butterflies in his stomach as resident assistants Justin Angotti and Becca Krichinsky led him, eyes closed, from his Anderson Hall apartment to the residence lounge. “Their faces were wreathed with special smiles, sort of like parents leading their children downstairs on Christmas morning,” the School of International Service (SIS) professor recalls; he knew something was up on that October morning.

The students had given Anderson’s first-floor lounge a much-needed punch of personality, with help from the cast and crew of the Style Network’s My Celebrity Home makeover show. In September, Style Network had approached several D.C. area universities about a campus-themed special episode. The producers were won over by Angotti and Krichinsky’s proposal to remake the room to thank Richardson, who has lived in Anderson Hall weeknights for the past four years.

With a $3,000 budget and Los Angeles hotspot Dolce as their inspiration, Angotti, Krichinsky, and six students who helped with painting, transformed the sterile room into a vibrant gathering spot. Gone are the landlord white walls, replaced with a bright apple green. Dozens of shimmering new throw pillows dot the room, and dramatic curtains mask a bare wall. The room’s focal point is a leather-topped table that can seat more than 20 students at Richardson’s frequent Sunday night dinners—more than twice the number he can entertain in his apartment.

more >>>