Demarest Hall - General Information

General Information

Demarest Hall is the only Rutgers dormitory completely dedicated to Special Interest Housing. The dormitory offers a large, friendly and open-minded community and also a strong and active Hall Government. The heart of the dormitory, however, are the Special Interest sections. Academically oriented, the sections cover the social sciences, the humanities and the fine arts.

Hall Government events and programs cater to the interests of the sections and their members. The sections themselves meet weekly, typically for one hour sessions in which members lead projects focused on their Special Interest. These section projects include discussions oriented around politics and cultural analysis, hands-on projects tapping into the creativity of the members, and presentations on topics pertaining to the section. All of the sections are student-run, as is the dormitory's Hall Government, allowing the students to mold and direct the sections as they choose.

Sections include:

• Philosophy
• Creative Writing
• Visual Arts
• History/Politics
• Music Appreciation (Currently on Probation due to the lack of interest)
• Culture Studies
• Performing Arts
• Sex, Gender, and Sexuality (Formerly LGBTQ Studies)
• Cinema Studies
• Religion & Spirituality

In the late 1990's and early 2000's a number of language studies sections were among the officially funded special interest sections of the dormitory including: French; Spanish; and Italian.

Sometimes, underground sections may develop from different residents in the dormitory, often being conducted out of their own rooms inside the dormitory. If there is enough support for the recognition of the section, it may become official in the dormitory and be entitled to funding from the university.