A community for “living and learning”
By Adrienne Frank
(From American Weekly, Oct. 2, 2006)

Page 2
(continued from Page 1)

“The first couple weeks, none of us had our doors closed, so you could go in and chat with everyone” says the musical theatre major. “We’re up until 3 a.m. just talking or doing our homework, so we’ve developed a really strong bond. These people are my home now.

“I’ve made such great friends, and I just feel like I belong here,” Raden continues. “And that’s a great feeling.”

SIS Professor John Richardson eating with students.

For the majority of AU’s 3,552 resident students, this is their first taste of life away from mom and dad. It’s a paradoxical independence, though; students are no longer under the watchful eye of their parents, yet they’re still accountable to their roommates and neighbors.

“You have your own private space, but most of the space in dorms is communal,” says Matthew Bryant, a resident advisor in Centennial Hall. “There’s a sense that we have to get along and we have to be willing to compromise in order to make this an enjoyable experience for everyone.”

Bryant, a junior majoring in political science and international studies, organizes dinners and movie nights for the 55 residents on his floor in order to “create a sense of community.”

“As a student, your life in the dorms can be just OK, or it can be absolutely great,” he says. “It all depends on how open you are to the experience, and how willing you are to get to know the people around you.”

Fellow RA Hayes, a senior studying broadcast journalism and political science, agrees.

“As an RA, you need to be a good listener, a good communicator, a problem solver, and someone who can befriend lots of different people,” she explains. “And, as a resident, I think you need those same skills to really make the most of your time here. You know, dorm life can be fun!”

Second professor moves in
That’s something School of Communication (SOC) professor John Doolittle knows first hand. With one semester of dorm life under his belt, Doolittle says he’s “more confident and more comfortable” in his Hughes Hall community—and he even gets a full eight hours of sleep every night.

“I’ll go down in my robe in the morning and pick up a paper, and have a conversation with a student on my way back to my apartment,” says Doolittle, associate director of CTE in charge of the Teaching and Learning Resources Group. “It’s a pretty good life.” Doolittle was intrigued by Richardson’s set up, and moved into Hughes last February. “I’m not teaching the students algebraic equations at night, but, by being there, I’m making a contribution,” he says. “I think students appreciate that a faculty member is willing to spend time with them, and wants to share their space.”

Doolittle says he’s often invited to participate in the residents’ activities, like Sunday brunch, and hopes to develop some events of his own, including a cooking program that brings faculty and administrators into the residences.“It’s just a good way to chat with the students, and to understand the challenges they face,” he says. “I’ve learned that they take their role as student incredibly seriously; that’s very gratifying for me, as a faculty member, to see.” more>>

Page 1 2 3