Risley Residential College
Encyclopedia
Prudence Risley Residential College for the Creative and Performing Arts, commonly known as Risley Residential College, Risley Hall, or just Risley, is a program house (themed residence hall) at Cornell University
. Unlike most other dormitories on campus, Risley is a residential college
; house members, or "Risleyites," have some say in the administration of the residence hall, can continue to reside there as long as they are enrolled at Cornell, are encouraged to eat together at the in-house dining hall, and participate in educational activities such as guest lectures within the dormitory. The building houses 192 students, chosen by Risleyites from a number of applications, as well as two Artists-In-Residence ("AIRs"), who live in the building and organize regular programs in which the house members participate. Currently, Risley's Artists-In-Residence are Carolina Osorio-Gil and Abraham Burickson
. Previous AIRs include Gregory Halpern
, Brandon Bird
. Many famous people have visited the house for intimate discussions with the Risleyites, such as Anthony Rapp
and John Cleese
, who hosted a question and answer session after the showing of his film A Fish Called Wanda
.
In 1911, Mrs. Russell Sage
donated $300,000 to the University for the construction of a women's dormitory. At her request, the building was named after her husband's
mother, Prudence Risley. The building was opened to students in 1913. It was unusually luxurious, with sculptures and expensive furnishings in common areas, many of which were donated by Cornell co-founder Andrew Dickson White
.
In 1970, under the guidance of Ruth Darling, the University converted Risley into a co-ed creative arts themed dormitory, the campus's first program house. Judith Goodman had been looking for a house to share with some of her more artistic friends. When she asked Cornell about the house she wanted, they said it had just been given away, but offered Risley instead. The cost of running the fancy all-female dorm was too much, and Cornell was going to shut Risley down.
After several attempts to develop an acceptable plan for running Risley as an arts dorm, and much Cornell paperwork aided by Ruth, Judith and her friends finally got her vision of Risley approved. In the first year, the college received over 1000 applications for the roughly 200 spots in the building.
Their system of government in 1970 is similar to the current one today, though there have been many amendments to the Risley Charter in the intervening years.
Notable former Risley residents from before the creation of Risley Residential College include Margaret Bourke White', Elspeth Huxley
, Barbara McClintock
, and Janet Reno
. Notable residents from after the creation of the Residential College include Matt Ruff
, Mia Korf
, Jamie Silverstein
, Christopher Reeve
, Andre Balazs
, Duo Dickinson
, and Andrew C. Greenberg
.
As a dormitory, Risley offers a unique living experience. The Tudor Gothic building itself is shaped like a large red castle, modeled directly on Hampton Court Palace
in England. The architect, William H Miller, was requested to design the floor plan such that no two rooms would be identical. Consequently, the rooms vary greatly. Sizes range from a single room that is 93 square feet (9 m²), a former maid's room, to a double room that is 273 square feet (25 m²), the largest double on campus. Room features include balconies, fireplaces, dumbwaiter
shafts, secret stairwells, bay window
s, embrasure
s, and turret
s. At the request of Andrew Dickson White
, the Risley Great Hall
was constructed as a smaller scale replica of Oxford
's Christ Church
's own dining hall. According to campus legend, its gargoyles represent the fourteen stages of botulism. In an effort to be more eco-friendly and conserve water, RisDining has done away with trays. Risley Dining is the only dining facility on North Campus to have eliminated the use of trays.
In order to fulfill its purpose of encouraging creativity, the residence offers a variety of outlets. All residents have access to Risley Theater (the only fully student-operated theater at Cornell), music
practice rooms, piano
s, workshops for art
, digital music
, jewelry, sewing
, letterpress, video editing
, woodworking
, metalworking
, stained glass
, and pottery
, as well as a recording studio
, a darkroom
, and a small library
. Unlike other houses, the affairs of the building are managed by an elected student government, "Kommittee," which determines the budget, use of facilities, and allocation of funds . Kommittee even allows students to paint the interior walls of the building, which has resulted in numerous murals on all the hallways painted by the residents. On many Fridays or Saturdays throughout the school year, the students run a coffee house, "Tammany," where regional bands come to perform. Students have created numerous special interest groups/clubs to meet their interests including a debate society ("The Society for Individualists"), and a classic video gaming group ("Nintendo
Church") among others.
built by Risley Residents in a converted ballroom left over from Risley's days as a women's dorm. Until 1971, it was used to teach dance as a part of the Women's Physical Education program. The seating was added in 1972. It is the only fully student-operated theater on the Cornell
campus.
Risley Theatre is run by the Risley Theatre Subcommittee ("T-Sub"), a subcommittee of the governing body of Risley Hall, Kommittee. T-Sub meets weekly in Risley's Central Living Room (CLR). T-Sub is responsible for producing regular seasons in the space, allocating theatre resources, funding student-run productions, and managing the theatre space. Any member of the Ithaca community is eligible to participate in T-Sub.
Risley Theatre has two seasons, based around Cornell's major breaks. Each season is planned out near the end of the previous season during a competitive process called "Play Selection." Any member of the Cornell and greater Ithaca community may submit proposals for productions during play selection to be included in the upcoming season. The theatre hosts a wide variety of productions, which have included musical theatre
, Shakespearean
plays, student works, and comedy groups in the past. Performances are open to anyone, and tickets can be bought at the door.
, students host a large costumed dance party called MasqueRave. Since 1991, on the weekend following Halloween, an in-house group, the "Denton Drama Troupe," has hosted a live performance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show in the Great Hall. Because both of these events draw hundreds of people, they generate the revenue that supports smaller projects. Other events include themed dinners, such as Harry Potter
Night, and a reading of Handel
's Messiah
.
In addition to annual events, there are also several weekly events (programs), most of which involve free food. Kommittee allocates money every semester to fund events like Eat This!, in which one or more Risleyites cook food for everyone else on Wednesdays at 10:30PM, RisBrunch (RizBrunch), in which one or more Risleyites cook food for everyone else on Saturdays at noon, and Lost Coffee, in which one Risleyite makes coffee and tea, which is placed somewhere in the building along with some cookies, on Monday nights and sends out clues as to where to find it. There is also a weekly massage program for both residents and out of house students, as well as a life drawing session featuring nude models.
Legend says that Prudence Risley, affectionately known as "Auntie Prue," haunts the building, flickering the lights whenever she appears. Some doubt the stories, though, and wonder if these "hauntings" might actually be the result of old wiring and the imaginations of overtired students.
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. Unlike most other dormitories on campus, Risley is a residential college
Residential college
A residential college is an organisational pattern for a division of a university that places academic activity in a community setting of students and faculty, usually at a residence and with shared meals, the college having a degree of autonomy and a federated relationship with the overall...
; house members, or "Risleyites," have some say in the administration of the residence hall, can continue to reside there as long as they are enrolled at Cornell, are encouraged to eat together at the in-house dining hall, and participate in educational activities such as guest lectures within the dormitory. The building houses 192 students, chosen by Risleyites from a number of applications, as well as two Artists-In-Residence ("AIRs"), who live in the building and organize regular programs in which the house members participate. Currently, Risley's Artists-In-Residence are Carolina Osorio-Gil and Abraham Burickson
Abraham Burickson
Abraham Burickson is an award-winning American poet and conceptual artist.-Life:Burickson attended Cornell University, receiving a BA in architecture. In 2002 he moved to San Francisco where with actor Matthew Purdon he founded the conceptual art and performance group Odyssey Works...
. Previous AIRs include Gregory Halpern
Gregory Halpern
Gregory Halpern is an American photographer who grew up in Buffalo, New York. He recently published his third book of photographs, entitled A , a photographic ramble through the streets of the American Rust Belt...
, Brandon Bird
Brandon Bird
Brandon Bird is an artist. He was born in 1980 in Carmichael, California, a suburb of Sacramento. He attended University of California, Santa Cruz and was an artist-in-residence from 2004-2006 at Risley Residential College at Cornell University...
. Many famous people have visited the house for intimate discussions with the Risleyites, such as Anthony Rapp
Anthony Rapp
Anthony Deane Rapp is an American stage and film actor and singer best known for originating the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of Rent in 1996 and later for reprising the role in the film version and the Broadway Tour of Rent in 2009...
and John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
, who hosted a question and answer session after the showing of his film A Fish Called Wanda
A Fish Called Wanda
A Fish Called Wanda is a 1988 crime-comedy film written by John Cleese and Charles Crichton. It was directed by Crichton and an uncredited Cleese, and stars Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin. The film is about a jewel heist and its aftermath...
.
History
Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage
Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage was an American philanthropist. Upon the death of her husband Russell Sage she received a fortune estimated at more than $50,000,000, to be used as she saw fit...
donated $300,000 to the University for the construction of a women's dormitory. At her request, the building was named after her husband's
Russell Sage
Russell Sage was a financier, railroad executive and Whig politician from New York, United States. As a frequent partner of Jay Gould in various transactions, he amassed a fortune, which passed to his second wife, Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, when he died...
mother, Prudence Risley. The building was opened to students in 1913. It was unusually luxurious, with sculptures and expensive furnishings in common areas, many of which were donated by Cornell co-founder Andrew Dickson White
Andrew Dickson White
Andrew Dickson White was a U.S. diplomat, historian, and educator, who was the co-founder of Cornell University.-Family and personal life:...
.
In 1970, under the guidance of Ruth Darling, the University converted Risley into a co-ed creative arts themed dormitory, the campus's first program house. Judith Goodman had been looking for a house to share with some of her more artistic friends. When she asked Cornell about the house she wanted, they said it had just been given away, but offered Risley instead. The cost of running the fancy all-female dorm was too much, and Cornell was going to shut Risley down.
After several attempts to develop an acceptable plan for running Risley as an arts dorm, and much Cornell paperwork aided by Ruth, Judith and her friends finally got her vision of Risley approved. In the first year, the college received over 1000 applications for the roughly 200 spots in the building.
Their system of government in 1970 is similar to the current one today, though there have been many amendments to the Risley Charter in the intervening years.
Notable former Risley residents from before the creation of Risley Residential College include Margaret Bourke White', Elspeth Huxley
Elspeth Huxley
Elspeth Joscelin Huxley CBE was a polymath, writer, journalist, broadcaster, magistrate, environmentalist, farmer, and government advisor. She wrote 30 books; but she is best known for her lyrical books The Flame Trees of Thika and The Mottled Lizard which were based on her experiences growing up...
, Barbara McClintock
Barbara McClintock
Barbara McClintock , the 1983 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, was an American scientist and one of the world's most distinguished cytogeneticists. McClintock received her PhD in botany from Cornell University in 1927, where she was a leader in the development of maize cytogenetics...
, and Janet Reno
Janet Reno
Janet Wood Reno is a former Attorney General of the United States . She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11...
. Notable residents from after the creation of the Residential College include Matt Ruff
Matt Ruff
Matthew Theron Ruff is an American author of thriller, science-fiction and comic novels.-Background and education:...
, Mia Korf
Mia Korf
Mia Korf is an American actress. She is probably best known for the role of Blair Cramer on One Life to Live.-Biography:...
, Jamie Silverstein
Jamie Silverstein
Jamie Silverstein is an American former ice dancer. With Justin Pekarek, she is the 1999 World Junior champion and U.S. silver medalist. With Ryan O'Meara, she is the 2006 U.S. bronze medalist and competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics.- Biography :Silverstein grew up in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania,...
, Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve
Christopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author and activist...
, Andre Balazs
Andre Balazs
Andre Balázs is an American hotelier and residential developer. He created the Standard Hotels line of hotels and operates many hotels and residences in New York and other U.S...
, Duo Dickinson
Duo Dickinson
George "Duo" Dickinson is an American architect. In more than 30 years of professional practice, he has built over 500 projects in over 10 states, with budgets ranging from $5,000 to $5,000,000...
, and Andrew C. Greenberg
Andrew C. Greenberg
Andrew C. Greenberg co-created Wizardry with Robert Woodhead, which was one of the first role-playing games for a personal computer. He was also involved with the production of the game Q-Bert and several of the later Wizardry games in the 1980s. He is a graduate of Cornell University, where he...
.
Facilities
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
in England. The architect, William H Miller, was requested to design the floor plan such that no two rooms would be identical. Consequently, the rooms vary greatly. Sizes range from a single room that is 93 square feet (9 m²), a former maid's room, to a double room that is 273 square feet (25 m²), the largest double on campus. Room features include balconies, fireplaces, dumbwaiter
Dumbwaiter
Dumbwaiter may refer to:* Dumbwaiter , a freight elevator or lift between building floors* Lazy Susan, a small rotating table or set of cabinets used for serving food* An auxiliary serving table or cart....
shafts, secret stairwells, bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
s, embrasure
Embrasure
In military architecture, an embrasure is the opening in a crenellation or battlement between the two raised solid portions or merlons, sometimes called a crenel or crenelle...
s, and turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
s. At the request of Andrew Dickson White
Andrew Dickson White
Andrew Dickson White was a U.S. diplomat, historian, and educator, who was the co-founder of Cornell University.-Family and personal life:...
, the Risley Great Hall
Great Hall
Great Hall may refer to* Great hall, the main room of a royal palace, nobleman's castle or large manor house* Great Hall of the People, Tiananmen Square, Beijing* Great Hall of the University of Sydney, Australia* Cooper_Union#The_Great_Hall, New York...
was constructed as a smaller scale replica of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
's Christ Church
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
's own dining hall. According to campus legend, its gargoyles represent the fourteen stages of botulism. In an effort to be more eco-friendly and conserve water, RisDining has done away with trays. Risley Dining is the only dining facility on North Campus to have eliminated the use of trays.
In order to fulfill its purpose of encouraging creativity, the residence offers a variety of outlets. All residents have access to Risley Theater (the only fully student-operated theater at Cornell), music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
practice rooms, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
s, workshops for art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, digital music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, jewelry, sewing
Sewing
Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era...
, letterpress, video editing
Video editing
The term video editing can refer to:* Linear video editing, using video tape* Non-linear editing system , using computers with video editing software* Offline editing* Online editing...
, woodworking
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
, metalworking
Metalworking
Metalworking is the process of working with metals to create individual parts, assemblies, or large scale structures. The term covers a wide range of work from large ships and bridges to precise engine parts and delicate jewelry. It therefore includes a correspondingly wide range of skills,...
, stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
, and pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
, as well as a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
, a darkroom
Darkroom
A darkroom is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light sensitive photographic materials, including photographic film and photographic paper. Darkrooms have been created and used since the inception of photography in the early 19th century...
, and a small library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
. Unlike other houses, the affairs of the building are managed by an elected student government, "Kommittee," which determines the budget, use of facilities, and allocation of funds . Kommittee even allows students to paint the interior walls of the building, which has resulted in numerous murals on all the hallways painted by the residents. On many Fridays or Saturdays throughout the school year, the students run a coffee house, "Tammany," where regional bands come to perform. Students have created numerous special interest groups/clubs to meet their interests including a debate society ("The Society for Individualists"), and a classic video gaming group ("Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
Church") among others.
Risley Theatre
Risley Theatre is an 81-seat black box theaterBlack box theater
The black box theater is a relatively recent innovation, consisting of a simple, somewhat unadorned performance space, usually a large square room with black walls and a flat floor.-History:...
built by Risley Residents in a converted ballroom left over from Risley's days as a women's dorm. Until 1971, it was used to teach dance as a part of the Women's Physical Education program. The seating was added in 1972. It is the only fully student-operated theater on the Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
campus.
Risley Theatre is run by the Risley Theatre Subcommittee ("T-Sub"), a subcommittee of the governing body of Risley Hall, Kommittee. T-Sub meets weekly in Risley's Central Living Room (CLR). T-Sub is responsible for producing regular seasons in the space, allocating theatre resources, funding student-run productions, and managing the theatre space. Any member of the Ithaca community is eligible to participate in T-Sub.
Risley Theatre has two seasons, based around Cornell's major breaks. Each season is planned out near the end of the previous season during a competitive process called "Play Selection." Any member of the Cornell and greater Ithaca community may submit proposals for productions during play selection to be included in the upcoming season. The theatre hosts a wide variety of productions, which have included musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, Shakespearean
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
plays, student works, and comedy groups in the past. Performances are open to anyone, and tickets can be bought at the door.
Traditions
The hall hosts numerous annual events. For example, on the weekend before HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
, students host a large costumed dance party called MasqueRave. Since 1991, on the weekend following Halloween, an in-house group, the "Denton Drama Troupe," has hosted a live performance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show in the Great Hall. Because both of these events draw hundreds of people, they generate the revenue that supports smaller projects. Other events include themed dinners, such as Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
Night, and a reading of Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
's Messiah
Messiah (Handel)
Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later...
.
In addition to annual events, there are also several weekly events (programs), most of which involve free food. Kommittee allocates money every semester to fund events like Eat This!, in which one or more Risleyites cook food for everyone else on Wednesdays at 10:30PM, RisBrunch (RizBrunch), in which one or more Risleyites cook food for everyone else on Saturdays at noon, and Lost Coffee, in which one Risleyite makes coffee and tea, which is placed somewhere in the building along with some cookies, on Monday nights and sends out clues as to where to find it. There is also a weekly massage program for both residents and out of house students, as well as a life drawing session featuring nude models.
Legend says that Prudence Risley, affectionately known as "Auntie Prue," haunts the building, flickering the lights whenever she appears. Some doubt the stories, though, and wonder if these "hauntings" might actually be the result of old wiring and the imaginations of overtired students.
See also
- Hutchinson Hall, University of ChicagoHutchinson Hall, University of ChicagoHutchinson Hall at the University of Chicago is modelled, nearly identically, on the hall of Christ Church, one of Oxford University's constituent colleges. It is located at 5700 S. University Avenue in Chicago, Illinois and is currently used as a dining hall and lounge for students and professors...
, another building with a hall based upon Christ Church's
Risley in literature
- Fool on the HillFool on the Hill (novel)Fool on the Hill is a 1988 comic fantasy novel by Matt Ruff, set at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.The novel is the story of two authors. Cornell University resident and author Stephen Titus George finds that his real life is becoming the main plot of a retired god, known as Mr. Sunshine. Mr...
by Matt RuffMatt RuffMatthew Theron Ruff is an American author of thriller, science-fiction and comic novels.-Background and education:... - The Salt Point by Paul RussellPaul RussellPaul Russell may refer to:* Paul Russell , at the University of British Columbia* Rusty Russell , Australian Linux kernel hacker, whose real name is Paul Russell* Paul Russell , Major League Baseball player...
External links
- Risley Hall official website
- The Campus Life Risley Page
- A Risley brochure circa 1976
- The Risley Lexicon
- Risley Theatre
- Virtual Risley Tour
- Picture of Risley in 1919
- 360* tour of Christ Church at Oxford. Risley's Great Hall is a replica of Christ Church's Great Hall.
- a collection of historical Risley photographs
- Freshmen move into Risley in 1960 featured in Life Magazine
