Kaleidoscope offers housing, resources, and support for students in the LGBTQ+ community. (Alan Zhou | Student Life)

Washington University welcomed three new Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) — Kaleidoscope, Constellation, and Lotus — on the northside of campus for the 2023-24 school year. The communities are specialized residential spaces for returning LGBTQ+ students, Taylor STARS (first-generation, low-income scholars), and Asian-American students, respectively. 

Student leaders advocated for the creation of these communities to address resource gaps, provide support, and strengthen connections between minority undergraduates — some of whom experience isolation within a predominantly white, heterosexual, cisgender, and affluent student body. 

“For transgender and gender-expansive students living on campus, having the option to live in [Kaleidoscope] with other folks who will use their correct pronouns and not ask pointed questions is extremely important,” said Nat Hilterbrand, Director of the Spectrum Office and Associate Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. 

Nash Overfield, a fourth-year who founded Constellation, said that being a first-generation, low-income student at WashU can be “socially isolating” due to financial constraints. For example, Overfield added, a low-income student may not be able to afford daily restaurant dining with peers. 

Maggie Lu, a second-year resident and designated student liaison for Lotus, described the LLCs as “bringing a little piece of home to college” for many first- and second-generation immigrant students. “In a world of being othered, you’re in a place where you feel like you’re part of the community,” she added.  

Currently, each LLC houses an average of 12 students in designated 4-person suites within the Village and Lopata House. Members are placed in adjacent rooms to facilitate social connection. 

In addition to residential housing, membership in an LLC involves participation in an LLC “kickoff” retreat, which takes place in Lopata House at the start of the school year. At the retreat, members of the LLCs join together for icebreakers and an information session. 

LLC leaders have ambitious plans for the future of their communities. Aspen Schisler, founder of Kaleidoscope, and Maggie Lu hope to acquire dedicated floors or houses for their LLCs if member recruitment this spring goes well. Additionally, Nat Hilterbrand wants to establish a second version of Kaleidoscope on the South 40, exclusively for first-year students.

Despite these potential plans for improvement, LLC members consistently provide positive feedback about their experiences living within these communities. 

Chethan Chandra, a pre-med Art History major and Kaleidoscope resident, summed it up by saying, “At the end of the day, when we all live together, we can come home back to our community and be close to one another.”