A new facet of Sacramento State life was presented to the student body with the dedication of the American River Courtyard.

“Let us take this building for what it is,” said Roberto Torres, Associated Students, Inc. president. “Let us strive to truly emphasize that at Sacramento State leadership begins here.”

Sac State President Alexander Gonzalez said the university is already a destination campus and called the addition of the ARC and it was built on time and under budget. “This is an exciting addition to the campus,” Gonzalez said, who also thanked the audience for believing in Sac State.

Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn said the university “hit a homerun” with the launch of the new residence hall. “To see this kind of urban design here really gets my juices flowing,” Cohn said. “This is the kind of thing we need to do more of.”

Built near the existing Residence Halls on the north end of campus, the ARC features furnished units, including a limited number of studios, an on-site convenience store offering snacks and drinks, and an environmentally friendly building plan. The building, which is the first on campus to be certified green, has increased Sac State’s student housing capacity by over 50 percent.

Students have been enjoying a greater degree of freedom living at the ARC since its opening at the start of the semester. “It’s a big upgrade,” said Ure Egbuho, a theater and journalism double major and ARC resident.

Eghubo’s friend Bree Robinson, a sophomore theater and English double major, also lives in the ARC. “It feels like a hotel,” Robinson said. “There’s a lot more freedom here.”

Eghubo and Robinson both lived in the existing Residence Halls last year, where they said it felt more like being at summer camp. Both women enjoyed never having to clean their bathrooms before they moved into the ARC, but having to share a bathroom with dozens of people proved to be a less than pleasant experience.

“People weren’t always as considerate,” Robinson said.

Eghubo said she likes that she doesn’t have to walk far to get home from her theater classes. “It’s a lot easier to walk from the building to home,” Eghubo said. “If it wasn’t for the convenience I don’t think it would have as much appeal.”

John Kepley, special assistant to the President said the ARC is an important part of Destination 2010, Sac State’s initial plan to develop the university into a destination campus and full-fledged metropolitan university.”This was an important part of Destination 2010,” Kepley said. “This is just one of the first things that students will be able to see that are going to improve the student experience at Sac State.”

Julia Baum can be reached at [email protected]