Branner: Stanford's New Public Service Dorm

Normally, when students have chicken at their dorm dinner tables, it isn’t still clucking. But at Branner Hall’s recent public service topic table, one guest of honor definitely had feathers. Her escort was Wendy Mattes, a local public service leader. Wendy runs Riley’s Place, a nonprofit that encourages and facilitates children's interaction with animals. Riley's Place allows kids to experience the joy and healing that spending time with animals and appreciating nature can bring.

These exciting topic tables are all part of Branner’s new status as a public service theme dorm. In addition to weekly topic tables that bring guests to speak about public service, Haas Center staff hold office hours for two hours each week in Branner. 

The idea of a public service dorm is the brainchild of Nancy Buffington and Clyde Moneyhun, Resident Fellows at Branner. The couple has been very supportive of the Haas Center as it works with the dorm to create positive public service experiences for its new residents.

“We’re really excited to have Branner as the service dorm this year,” says Amanda Itliong, Student Development and Leadership Programs Director at the Haas Center. “This year about one-third of the students who live in Branner chose to live there because they are passionate about public service.”

In addition to being a public service dorm, Branner switched from being all freshman to a dorm for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The residence has four focus assistants who work towards integrating public service into dorm programming and supporting residents in their public service endeavors. Focus assistants become familiar with residents’ public service passions and organize public service opportunities for the dorm community.

Meanwhile, Haas Center office hours in Branner attract a “steady flow of students” including familiar and new students. After office hours, a guest speaker discusses his or her public service journey and area of expertise. “We’ve had Stanford staff members, community members who work with nonprofits, Stanford alumni active in public service, and we’re hoping to have faculty as well,” says Itliong. “It’s really casual and fun to just talk about different public service topics over dinner together.”

For one topic table, Stanford admissions counselor Arash Daneshzadeh spoke about his passion for educational equity and how he utilizes his experience as an admissions officer to help further positive social change in his home country of Iran.

For the Haas Center, office hours and topic tables are “a way we keep a weekly presence in the dorm,” according to Itliong. The Center has made additional contributions to Branner, including donating bulletin board materials and books to start a public service library. The Haas Center also has hosted a few large events in the Jackson Lounge of Branner Hall including service fairs focused on fellowships, summer opportunities, and year of service programs.