Community college dorms, Mammoth Lakes

Frank Cruz, South Gateway assistant manager Rebekah Geare, resident assistant Kyle Furlong, Ethery and Carroll, clockwise from lower left, enjoy the hot springs near Mammoth Lakes. Many Cerro Coso Community College students are drawn to the campus by the area’s outdoor activities.  (Christina House / For The Times)

James Goodman works at his computer in his dorm room at South Gateway Student Apartments in Mammoth Lakes. Many of the new student housing projects at community colleges use no public money. South Gateway was built on the edge of Cerro Coso’s Mammoth campus for $8.5million by the Mammoth Lakes Foundation.  (Christina House / For The Times)

Matt Carothers, 19, seen through window, works out in the gym at South Gateway Student Apartments in Mammoth Lakes.  (Christina House / For The Times)

Andrew Ayala, 19, of Chino Hills, concentrates during a distance learning class at Cerro Coso Community College in Mammoth Lakes. The number of televised courses at the campus are among the resident students’ few complaints.  (Christina House / For The Times)

Recovering from a snowboarding injury, E.J. Vitta, 19, of Chino Hills, does his laundry at the South Gateway Student Apartments in Mammoth Lakes. Nearby snowboarding and the many other outdoor activities help attract non-commuting students to the Cerro Coso Community College campus there.  (Christina House / For The Times)

Rebekah Geare, assistant manager of South Gateway Student Apartments, and Cerro Coso Community College student Byron Herman ride a gondola up the slopes in Mammoth Lakes.  (Christina House / For The Times)

Resident assistant Erica Ruiz lounges with students while watching a movie at the South Gateway Student Apartments in Mammoth Lakes, which boasts a glassed-in fireplace and a giant flat-screen TV.  (Christina House / For The Times)