Overnight program pairs high schoolers with IU students

The Hoosier Overnight Student Team, or HOST program, gives current high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to spend a day living the life of a current IU student.

“It’s kind of one of those best-kept secrets,” said senior Kelly Moeller, HOST student director.

Moeller made her decision to come to IU after her HOST visit.

“I just fell in love with the campus,” Moeller said.

The program is offered through the Office of Admissions, and not all of the student volunteers participated while in high school.

“I didn’t stay overnight,” sophomore and HOST student director Ginger Thompson said.
“I got an e-mail about the program my freshman year.”

As directors of the HOST program, Moeller and Thompson are responsible for coordinating the requests for the prospective students to stay with the HOST students.
They also train and recruit the volunteers for the program.

“We are always looking for more volunteers,” Moeller said. “The only requirement is that they have to live in a
residence hall.”

Current students host their junior and senior guests for one overnight period,
Sunday through Thursday, when school is in session. This gives the HOST guest a chance to act as a shadow of the host, observing the academic life and extracurricular activities the host participates in.

The program does not run during school breaks, dead week, finals week or the week of the Little 500.

As one of six student ambassador programs in the Office of Admissions, the HOST program had more than 300 of these overnight visits scheduled during the 2008-2009 school year.

Freshman and current HOST ambassador Jacqueline Emord-Netzley was a guest of the HOST program as a senior in high school.

“My dad signed me up,” Emord-Neztley said. “I didn’t even know I was going to do it.”
Having already hosted one student this year, Emord-Netzley said she brought her host student to a read-through for “Othello.”

Freshman and current host Joshua Gale was able to show his visitor a more athletic part of the University.

“I got to show him the football stadium, and he got to meet with his recruiter while he was here,” Gale said.

The HOST program looks for outgoing IU freshmen and sophomores with great leadership skills, eager to show what IU has to offer.  Students who want to take in a high school student should e-mail host@indiana.edu for more information.