labs, lecture halls, and classrooms Laboratories The Oberlin Science Center accommodates the research needs of both faculty members and students. All science faculty members at Oberlin pursue active research programs, and all have lab space that is appropriate for their research interests. In addition, every faculty lab is configured for work with several student assistants, enhancing opportunities for the collaborative research relationships for which Oberlin is so well known. Instructional labs are extremely flexible. Several have movable furniture so professors can arrange the space according to the needs of each class. A majority of Oberlin science majors pursue research during their undergraduate years, either independently or with a faculty member. Demonstrated competency in research is virtually a requirement for entry into most graduate and medical schools, and the Oberlin Science Center fully accommodates individual student researchers. Space exists for up to 45 student researchers in biology, 30 in chemistry, and 15 in neuroscience. The center also contains three computer laboratories: one each on the first and second floors, and one in the library. The lab in the library contains a ceiling-mounted projection unit, making it usable as a classroom when needed. Library staff members use the space to educate students on how to access and use scientific resources. The library's computer lab is an inviting place to work, flooded with natural light from two full walls of windows overlooking North Bowl. Lecture halls The lecture halls in the Oberlin Science Center take full advantage of modern technology. All are wired for Internet access. The 75-seat physics auditorium is equipped with modern audiovisual equipment and capabilities, allowing projection of slides, laser discs, videocassettes, DVDs, material from the Internet and other computer-driven projections. Functional table seating makes it comfortable for students taking notes. The Norman C. Craig Lecture Hall, a 130-seat space, is the most technologically sophisticated hall in the center, with an Internet connection at every seat. The room has multiple projector capabilities that allow the display of both side-by-side and centered-image presentations, as well as a 20-foot-wide screen. A special camera unit allows professors to project images of demonstrations being done on the lab bench at the front of the auditorium onto this screen, ensuring a clear view even for those in the farthest seats. (This camera set up is portable and can be used anywhere in the center.) Video and computer connections to the observatory in Peters Hall allow the display of telescope images during astronomy classes. With a seating capacity of 230, the West Lecture Hall is the largest lecture hall on campus. This hall is also outfitted with systems to project slides, videocassettes, and DVDs. The room can accommodate satellite videoconferencing and also contains two 16-mm film projectors. Classrooms The five classrooms in the Oberlin Science Center were designed to blur the distinction between class work and research. All contain multiple computer outlets that allow small groups of students to work together on interactive computer projects. The four new classrooms in the center have dual-screen projection capabilities. The renovated classroom in Wright can hold 30 students, and the four new classrooms in the center can accommodate 40 students. Furniture in all the classrooms is movable, allowing easy rearrangement, and the new classrooms are equipped with digital projection systems, allowing the projection of slides, laser discs, videocassettes, and Internet material. Overhead lights do not need to be dimmed when these projection units are in use, making it much easier for students to take notes. Smaller classes, tutorials, and discussion sections are held in the various seminar rooms.