Santa Catalina Dorms

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Coordinates: 34°25′5.17″N, 119°52′4.33″W

A sign from when Santa Catalina was called Francisco Torres.
A sign from when Santa Catalina was called Francisco Torres.
One of the towers of Santa Catalina.
One of the towers of Santa Catalina.
The swimming pool next to the residence buildings.
The swimming pool next to the residence buildings.

Santa Catalina, formerly Francisco Torres (abbreviated to F.T. in everyday use), is a group of student residence halls off the main campus at the University of California, Santa Barbara. It is located at 6850 El Colegio Road, Goleta, Santa Barbara County, California. Francisco Torres includes two buildings: the Mountain Tower, (formerly the North Tower) and the Ocean Tower (formerly the South Tower). The complex includes a swimming pool, a dining commons called Portola, a gym and a computer lab associated with the two buildings.

Contents

[edit] History

Despite rumors to the contrary, Santa Catalina was not originally a hotel. It was built as a private residence hall and operated as such until 2002 when it was purchased by UCSB.[1] During the school year it houses approximately 1325 students and is used in the summer by the various sports and training camps that are held on campus. During the school year some local residents (possibly former tenants) have been known to yell obscenities from their cars as they pass the building, especially its nickname of "Fuck Towers".

The buildings were constructed in 1966. One of the towers is 10 stories high, and the other 11 stories. They are among the tallest structures in Santa Barbara County, having been built prior to the county's imposition of height restrictions on new construction.

In May 2006, UCSB was listed as the #2 party school in Playboy Magazine. Playboy.com listed the Francisco Torres dorms under the heading "Sex Legends" citing the dorm's "reputation as a promiscuous, crazy residence hall".[citation needed]

[edit] Name change

In January 2008, UCSB changed the name of the residence hall to Santa Catalina, matching the Channel Islands theme of several other residence halls at the school. The name "Francisco Torres" had something of a negative reputation around the campus and surrounding communities; many students had, albeit affectionally, referred to Francisco Torres as "Fuck Towers". Some students protest the name change, but it will remain.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "UC Santa Barbara to Purchase Privately Owned Student-Housing Complex", 2002

[edit] External links

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