Photo by Madelaine Brown
By Denise Arriaza and Steven Mynott
At the conclusion of Interim President Susan Andrzejewski’s convocation speech, audience members were encouraged to stay on campus for the ribbon cutting ceremony of Gateway Hall, one of the newest buildings at CI.
Camarillo Mayor Kevin Kildee was in attendance, along with an impressive number of other local leaders and representatives, for the grand opening of Gateway Hall. This day marked the end of a 21 months long construction project on the CI campus, and the end of detours and delays on Santa Barbara Avenue.
Gateway Hall is now open for all students and faculty in time for the Fall 2025 semester. Located at the University Drive entrance, Gateway Hall is now the first building you see when entering campus. It is a new building on campus which spent over 21 months in construction. Gateway Hall has so much to offer to students like new classrooms, computer labs and even a new coffeeshop. With it being three stories high, each floor of Gateway Hall offers a spacious layout to make access throughout the building easier for all students. Additionally, there are lots of seating areas for students to use whenever they have downtime in between classes. The new classrooms have more windows allowing more natural light to shine through, and the ventilation inside is guaranteed to cool you off. A lot of the classrooms are way bigger providing a much bigger layout to accommodate more students. With there being so much to see in Gateway Hall they currently offer tours and the front desk staff is very helpful when it comes to navigating your way around. There are also plenty of outlets to always ensure any and all devices are charged.
The new coffeeshop called the Coastal Cup offers many drinks and snacks for anyone on campus. Fun fact, Interim President Susan Andrzejewski’s choice of coffee is the classic way, with cream and sugar!
The Coastal Cup has the potential to be the new go to spot for students looking to get a quick refreshment or snack on the go. Its location on the first floor makes it easy to stop along the way. While the coffeeshop is a bit small on the inside there are plenty of seating areas throughout Gateway Hall that can not only be used to study but also to eat or socialize with others. Although the Coastal Cup is primarily a coffee shop there are also other alternatives for beverages and other snacks. There is a lot of variety offered, from protein and energy drinks to different pastries and protein bars. The Coastal Cup also offers boba and sushi as a new refreshing lunch option.
Gateway Hall is the newest addition to our growing campus. It provides new opportunities for learning and connection among others. It does not just provide us with learning spaces, but also new hangout spaces to meet new people. It will be exciting to see the new impact that Gateway Hall will continue to have on this campus as time progresses.
