Residence halls welcome students back; encourage them to stay active, positive

As winter break came to a close, IU’s eight residence halls filled with students. Freshman Jordan Harmon, who lives in Wright Quadrangle, said he has mixed feelings about being back. \n“So far it’s just been hard to get back into the groove of going to classes and doing homework,” he said.\nTo quell these back-to-school blues, residence halls and resident assistants plan programs to keep students happy and active.\nBriscoe Resident Manager Tiana Williams Iruoje said students generally have minimal problems readjusting.\n“If we do have students that have trouble readjusting, the RAs are trained how to help them,” she said. “The RA will take the student to lunch and just have conversation \nwith them.”\nEach dorm has different programs that help welcome students back to campus and get them involved again with their floor, said Bob Weith, Residential Programs and Services director for residential operations. \n“It varies from center to center,” he said.\nWilliams Iruoje said Briscoe Quadrangle hosts pizza socials, movie nights and other events.\nAlthough classes and homework are things everyone has to adjust to, residents in the dorms can take advantage of the learning centers and programs available to them right inside their building.\nPriya Vaswani, a freshman who lives in Wright, said she is glad to be back. \n“I definitely feel well-adjusted because I know my way around and all of the resources available to me,” she said. “I also feel a lot closer to the new friends I’ve made here.”\nA convenient way for on-campus residents to stay \ninformed about programs and services RPS’ weekly e-mail newsletter, “In Touch,” said RPS Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing Pam Sprong. \n“It can tell them about programs, activities or deadlines that are important,” she said.\nAlthough it is only the second week of classes, freshmen like Harmon and Vaswani are keeping an upbeat attitude. This typically tends to change, Weith said, but RPS tries to help keep students positive.\n“After we get into the routine of things and students get boxed up and the weather gets bad, we try to schedule more programs to keep them active,” he said.