At Penn State, students striving for a drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle might be in LIFE (Living in a Free Environment) House; those espousing the values and beliefs of Martin Lurther King, Jr., Ghandi and Thoreau can join Martin Luther King, Jr. House; and those in any of a variety of majors or holding other interdisciplinary interests also have opportunities to live in shared houses. Like Penn State, Ohio State University has a house for public service-minded students, plus one for those who want the maximum in quiet study conditions, among other areas of interest. Cornell University offers Ecology House, with a garden, fireside lounge and communal kitchen, for active environmentalists and nature lovers, among other houses. West Virginia University has established a new house for students interested in its forensic identification program to go with four houses dedicated to other pursuits.

            Meanwhile, many universities--including Penn State, Ohio State and West Virginia--with special living option houses include ones devoted to students who are still exploring their career goals and/or eventual choice of major. Penn State and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation recently teamed up to create Discover House for such students who are making a decision crucial to their future. Through Discover House, the project coordinators have opened a forum for dialogue and shared experiences--classes, field trips, conferences and publications--among students to foster an understanding of why universities bother with general education requirements in order to help change attitudes about the process among the wider student population.

            More information on special living options at Penn State is on the Web at http://www.sa.psu.edu/rl/slo/.

**gwc**

Contact: Gary W. Cramer (814) 865-7517 or e-mail gwc104@psu.edu.