What In The Hall? November-December 2013 Advice From an RA... A support system is a major key in helping with a college student s success. Without that support from friends or family, it can feel like you are left to deal with everything alone. This can really take a toll on you mentally and physically. In my experience I could not make it without my family s help. They are the ones who encourage me when I need it most. Mom calls just to wish me a great day and tell me how proud she is of me. Dad emails to say he loves me and my brothers snapchat inside jokes just to make me smile. These are the little things that help get me get by; it is what I am most thankful for. By: Laura Mauroschadt, Resident Assistant in Village 4 H oliday break is quickly approaching, but to many college students this also means extra stress and finals. When we could be giving thanks for all we have, we are more worried about the ten page double-spaced research paper with an annotated bibliography, and the four finals that need to be aced. However I think in the middle of all of the college hustle and bustle, this is a perfect time to realize just how lucky we are to have our friends, family, and the college community to help support us. Articles continued on page 3... Volume 1, Issue 3 In this Issue: Break Housing Page 2 Details from the director Page 3 Winter Formal Page 4 Community Standards Corner Page 5 Cup-o-Joe Page 6 Brennan Bulletin Page 6 RHA Roundtable Page 7 Nrhh & OTMS Page 9 Keepin up with Kiefer Page 10 Page 1 Nov. & Dec. 2013
What Are You Doing For the Holidays? Thanksgiving & Winter Break Housing What are your travel plans for Thanksgiving? The residence halls close at 6:00pm on Wednesday, November 27 th. If you have a class that runs past 6:00pm or your ride can t arrive until later, don t worry just stop by the Office of Residence Life and complete an Extended Stay Form. Also, if you plan to remain on campus in your room you must also complete an Extended Stay Form. There is no charge for staying during the Thanksgiving break. Places like the Inn at Reading and the Queen City Diner are open and serving Thanksgiving dinner. No matter what your budget is you are able to find a great meal nearby. Winter Break Housing: Any student that will be attending graduation, working on campus or taking a winter class is allowed to request to stay on campus for the winter. Students are NOT permitted to be in the residence halls between December 23 rd and January 1 st, even if approved to stay during the break. Winter Break Forms can be picked up in the Office of Residence Life, located on the first floor of Veronica Hall. Again, if you have an off campus job, for example at Target, Berkshire Mall, this does NOT qualify you for on campus housing during the winter break. If you are approved to stay on campus the charge is $62 a week during the winter break period. The charges will be placed on your Alvernia University account at the end of the break period. A quick overview/reminder: As stated in the the Student Handbook, Alvernia s residential facilities are closed during breaks. Students wishing to stay must officially request housing during these periods. Students are expected to follow all policies as stated in the Student Handbook with the exception of guests. No overnight guests are permitted in the residence halls during the break period, this includes Alvernia students who have not been approved by Residence Life. For More Information: Please call the office of residence Life at 610-796-8320. For the extended stay form, please come to our office on the first floor of veronica hall or check the residence life page on MyAlvernia. Page 2 Nov. & Dec. 2013
Advice from an RA-Laura Mauroschadt Continued from Front Page The knowledge that you are really never alone can strengthen you and push you to strive for your best. Everyone should have someone they can turn to for support: a friend, a family member, a professor, maybe even an RA. That support system is what is going to keep you fighting and pushing through all the work, even when the only thing on your mind is getting to the holiday break. Remember that we are all part of the Alvernia family. Caption: Resident Assistant Laura Mauroschadt is pictured with her parents and two brothers whom she relies upon to succeed at Alvernia. Details from the Director By: Karolina Dreher, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life H appy Holidays from the Office of Residence Life to all of you. This is the time of year when we always stress being thankful for your family and the support system and friends you have made. In addition, we stress staying calm and keeping things in perspective as we approach finals week. However, I think we sometimes miss reflecting on our Franciscan values and what that means this time of year. Remember to really take time to give back to your communities and those in need this holiday season. Give back when and how much you can to guarantee a good holiday season for others. it becomes important to reflect and decided how you can make your Alvernia experience better. If you are a commuter, do you want to try to live on campus? Make the most of your college experience; but think about how to best do that. Merry Christmas and let us know if we can help make 2014 even better for you. In addition, take time to contemplate these last few weeks and begin to make decisions about what you want to make of your spring semester. Do you want to get more involved? Do you want to try and be an RA or an OWL? After the first semester, Page 3 Nov. & Dec. 2013
Winter Formal Sponsored by the offices of student Activities & Residence Life When: Friday, January 31, 2014 Where: St. Anthony s Tickets will be on sale when you return from winter break. Don t forget to bring back your Formal Wear! Housing Selection 2014... The Housing Selection process will kick off at the beginning of February and last until Mid-April. This year there will probably be some changes to the process; however, the options remain the same. You need to decided if you want to (1) create an affinity community, (2) sign-up for a themed community, or (3) go through the regular selection process (Look for a special section in the Jan./Feb. Newsletter explaining what this means). Some important dates to remember: February 5-Choice Housing Applications available March 3-Choice Housing Applications due March 31-Housing selection deadline To participate in Housing selection, students must have completed three things by this day: 1. registered for 12 or more credits for fall 2015 2. paid their housing deposit 3. submitted their housing application Page 4 Nov. & Dec. 2013
Decorations Policy Community Standards Corner By: Dave Stuart, Director of Community Standards S ince we are entering the holiday season this month, the Office of Community Standards would like to focus on the Fire Safety and Room Decorations policies and offer some tips on decorating you place. We all love the smell of a real Christmas tree however you can only have artificial trees, so get some pine scented air freshener to get the same effect. Christmas lights really add a nice touch but, be careful to not hang them around any doors or from any fire safety equipment, because that could either cause a fire or prevent one from being stopped. For those students that celebrate Hanukkah please make sure that all your menorahs are electric because there are no candles allowed in our halls. Please make sure that you read the full Policy in the Alvernia University Student Handbook. If you have any questions stop by the Office of Community Standards in Veronica Hall. WANt to BE A Resident Assistant? RA Selection Will begin as soon as you return from winter break. Some important dates to remember for the RA Selection process: January 17, 2014 RA Applications Available As a part of the application process, each candidate must have a resume. The office of Career Services has offered to help so utilize that resource and get in contact with their office before the semester is over. Plan ahead. February 5, 2014 February 16, 2014 RA Applications Due RA group Process & Interview Day To be considered as a candidate for an RA position, A student must have: 1. at least a 2.5 GPA 2. Good standing with the office of community standards Page 5 Nov. & Dec. 2013
Cup-o-Joe Monthly Updates for the First Year Area from Your Resident Director By: Joe Benyish, Resident Director for the First Year Student Area I t s that time of the semester you re about to embark on your first set of college finals! It s important to remember to prepare for them. Take the necessary time to be successful, and get those good grades! It s also the time in the semester, when everyone starts to get a little cabin fever. I urge you to remember that you will be heading home for Thanksgiving Break in a little less than 2 weeks so please hang in there, if you are having roommate issues, go and talk with your RAs. A lot of times, the break will help make things better sometimes you just need a little break from your best friends, too! As the semester winds down and you are not planning to return to Alvernia in the spring, please stop into the Office of Residence Life so we can talk about checkout procedures, and so that I know you will not be returning. If you would like to move to a new space for the spring, and there will be an opening you can also stop by and talk with us about how to make that happen (spaces are limited, and we do have to save some spaces for transfer students, so there is no guarantee that it will be possible, but we can talk about it!) If I don t see you before Thanksgiving Break, please travel safely, and enjoy your time with your families! Brennan Bulletin Monthly Updates for the Transitional Student Area from Your Resident Director Page 6 Nov. & Dec. 2013 By: Don Brennan Resident Director for the Transitional Student Area T he semester is already coming to a close for the winter. It seems like just yesterday you all were carrying in your boxes and preparing to start the semester. I really want you to notice how fast this semester goes. You blink and those four great years of college are over. Take advantage of your college experience before its over. However, you need to also take advantage of your downtime because when you leave college, your home life is never the same. Enjoy your holiday season with your family and friends. This is the time to enjoy your time with those you love without worrying about classes and everything else on your plate, except for those taking winter courses. In preparing for the spring semester, there are some things to remember. If you re interested in possibly switching rooms in the spring, please come see me during finals week to ensure that you have selected and can move in before you leave for winter break. Remember if you re planning on trying to be an RA or living on campus in fall 2014, those processes start immediately when we get back from the Christmas break. Please remember if you are planning on staying over winter break or even past 7:00 PM on Friday, you need to be approved by our Office so please come in and fill out the necessary paperwork. Thanks. Happy Holidays.
RHA RUNDTABLE OUR FIRST CAACURH EXPERIENCE! By: Caitlyn McGrellis, RHA President C AACURH was an experience that I was happy to be apart of. While being told it was going to be the most spirited conference that I would ever attend, I was a bit weary about going. A large spirit competition is not what I'd like to find myself in the middle of, but I RHA ROUNDTABLE can finally say that it was not an experience that I will regret. The spirit competition was the most fun that I believe the group had throughout the entire conference. Pins and clothespins were traded day by day in order to allow each delegate to represent every school in attendance. The pins and clothespins were decorated for each specific school and allowed each RHA to show their individual creativity. The sessions that everyone went to gave each individual person a different insight on how RHA should and does work, especially at different colleges and universities. As president, I can happily say that CAACURH was a great experience for each member of RHA that was in attendance and that each person gained new and important skills while also having fun. Caption: Meredith Beavers, NRHH President, and Caitlyn McGrellis, RHA President, are enjoying the formal dinner at the close of their first CAACURH conference. Countdown To Winter Break: 24 Days Page 7 Nov. & Dec. 2013
Christmas Tree Lighting When: Monday, December 2, 2013 Time: 6:30 PM Where: Holleran Patio and Student Center Rha invites you to get your holiday season Started off right. Our annual Christmas tree lighting kicks off our holiday season and campus Christmas decorations. In addition, there will be activities and food to celebrate Christmas. RHA Fall Calendar of Events November 25 Christmas Caroling and Candy Grams sales begins Student Center-Dinner & lunch Times December 2 Christmas Tree Lighting 6:30 PM in Student Center December 3 Quack Attack Day (Christmas Edition) December 4 Council Meeting 8:30 Pm in Private Dining Room in SC Countdown to the New Semester Page 8 Nov. & Dec. 2013 New Year s Eve Party When: Sunday, January 12, 2014 Time: 9:00 PM-12:30 PM Where: Student Center Spring Semester Highlights January 12 Countdown to the new Semester New Years eve Party Student Center January 19-25 Photo Scavenger Hunt February 2 2nd Annual Superbowl Party February 20 Alvernia Squares March 3 Roommate Mixer More Events to come in the months of march, april, and may...
NRHH Updates W hat is National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH)? NRHH is a national honors society that only accepts 1% of it s total resident student population. They have four pillars of recognition, Service, Leadership, and Academics. Finally, they select otm awards every Month (See Below). H ow can I get involved and what is the process to be selected? Applications are now available in the Office of Residence Life. You must: (1) Have lived in University Housing for one semester; (2) 2.5 GPA. The current members will then select on an individual basis if someone will be allowed membership. OTMS: Of The Months Educational Program of the Month Teri Jendusa Nicolai Resident Assistant of the Month Amee Patel Social Program of the Month Mr. Alvernia-SGA Organization of the Month CureSader Club Diversity Program of the Month Los Valientes-Arts & Culture Series Spotlight of the Month Atheltics Hall of Fame Dinner Advisor of the Month Professor Hartung First Year Student of the Month Conner Bechtel Faculty/Staff Member of the Month Kevin Burns Community Service of the Month Social Work Association Student of the Month & Executive Board Member of the Month Brandi Loga Page 9 Nov. & Dec. 2013
Keepin up with Kiefer Monthly Updates for the Upper Class Area from Your Resident Director By: Gina Kiefer, Resident Director for the Upper Class Student Area A re you moving out at the end of the Fall semester? Are you interested in a room change for next semester? Then this section is for you! If you are planning to move out at the end of the Fall semester because you are graduating, have an internship or student teaching experience more than 20 miles away, or studying abroad, please come to the Office of Residence Life to complete a Request for Release from the Housing Contract form. You are officially approved to move out of your housing assignment when you receive notification by the Office of Residence Life in the form of a letter. If you are interested in a room change for the Spring Semester, please see the Resident Director for your area to discuss this matter. If the request is approved, you may need to remove your belongings from your current room and take them home during the break. When you return for the Spring semester, you would move into your new space. Your Resident Director will work with you and let you know the best way to handle your move. Good luck with your finals and projects, and best wishes for a happy holiday season! Residence Life Staff Karolina Dreher 610-796-8320 Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life Dave Stuart 610-796-5508 Director of Community Standards Shannon Merkey 610-796-8320 Housing Coordinator Joe Benyish 610-796-5500 Resident Director for the First Year Area Don Brennan 610-790-1961 Resident Director for the Transitional Area Gina Kiefer 610-790-1945 Resident Director for the Upper Class Area Office of Residence Life Alvernia University Address: Veronica Hall 400 Saint Bernardine Street Reading, PA 19607 Phone: 610-796-8320 Fax: 610-796-5608 Email: reslife@alvernia.edu Page 10 Nov. & Dec. 2013