Blizzards of posters and fliers around campus make it pretty obvious that something is going on this week. Advertisements from Resnet’s Laptop Information nights, to Ballroom Dancing Society meetings, to the eye-catching Want a Grandma? are plastered everywhere, from announcement boards to doors and everywhere in between.
Residence halls are places students are sure to see posters about events, clubs, meeting times and free barbecues. But how do people who live off campus stay informed and connected?
Friends that live on campus tell you what’s going on, says sophomore Beth Stauber, who lives in the Winston House apartment building. I talk to my friends, I read The Hatchet and I see signs in the Marvin Center and everywhere else.
With all of these options at her disposal, Stauber says she does not feel disconnected. She puts it on herself to remain linked with campus life, she says.
You must make sure you don’t let yourself get disconnected, which could easily happen living on campus, too, Stauber says.
Other students living off campus say they do feel detached from campus.
Arcelia, who asked that her full name not be published, says she detaches herself from Foggy Bottom. Not a typical student, Arcelia, lives at Bolling Air Force Base with her husband. She says her time with the military, age and marital status – not a lack of University effort – contribute to her admitted self-segregation.
I think the school definitely tries to bring camaraderie, Arcelia says. Standing in line at Jamba Juice looking at the poster board with all those free activities, I just can’t help but think how awesome that is.
In fact that building of camaraderie is what some people see as the advantage of living in a residence hall.
The University certainly recognizes this, and makes efforts to encourage students to live on campus.
It is the goal of the University to house 80 percent of its full time undergraduate students in University owned or controlled residential facilities, according to the GW-Foggy Bottom campus plan for 2000-2010.
At the Board of Zoning Adjustment hearing last spring about the campus plan, GW committed to consistently housing a minimum of 60 percent of students on campus.
I like living on campus because I always feel connected to other students, sophomore Cory Hopkins says. Despite the drawbacks, there definitely are advantages, like always knowing what is going on around campus due to various fliers – sometimes even to the point of being annoying.
