Office of Residence Life provides inviting options for students seeking a different experience

As the boy sat at his desk looking at his notes, the smell of cigarette smoke wafted up to his room through the open window from the people hanging out downstairs. He got up and walked over to shut the window, despite the high temperature of the day. As he sat back down again, he realized that living in this dorm always seemed to be a problem for him. From the noise at all hours of the night to the constant smell of smoke from downstairs, he wasn't happy with where he had been placed.

For many students, the residence hall in which they reside can make or break their experience for that year. For freshmen, where they live and who they live with usually is random. There are three options for on-campus housing that provide students with the choice to know their environment, and the knowledge that the students around them most likely will be interested in some of the same things they are. The theme houses on campus include the international housing dorm, the substance-free dorm and the sophomore dorm which will be available in the fall. There currently are 700 students living in the theme housing communities, according to Maggie Evans, director of the Office of Residence Life.

"All of the halls have a graduate student who works with special-interest housing communities, and the halls also have connections with Academic Affairs and Student Affairs administrators," Evans said.

The international dorm, Ashby Hall, is located on the Quad, and 66 students currently reside there. Living in Ashby Hall can provide for some unique learning experiences, since it is a dorm for both international and U.S. students.

"Being around people from different cultures is an experience in itself," said freshman Kevin Hasser, who lives in Ashby.

Sophomore Maaz Shaukat, who also lives in Ashby Hall, said, "I think it's quite a good experience. It's different because there are more American people in Ashby than last year, but it's a nice experience because you get to know all these people from different countries and cultures."

Other students choose to live in dorms where they can be sure that smoke will not be rising up through their open bedroom windows. These substance-free dorms — Shorts Hall, Converse Hall and Spotswood Hall — are guaranteed to be alcohol and drug free.

"I think it's a positive influence [living in a substance-free dorm]," said freshman Christine Ruggles, a Shorts Hall resident. "I have friends who live in dorms and keep alcohol in their rooms, and you don't have to worry about that here. If they have alcohol in their dorms, there's a kind of peer pressure to drink on the weekdays when I have to work. I think it's just a really nice place."

Although substance-free and international theme housing may seem like unique residence options, there will be a new theme option opening in the fall. The new housing will be opening for sophomores, and it is called "Second Year Experience." The dorm will be located in Logan Hall, which currently is being renovated.

"Logan Hall will focus on leadership development, some career choices and some academic support components as well," Evans said.

The theme housing communities started in response to demands made by students who wanted a different kind of living option, according to Evans. JMU faculty also had voiced their interest in having a specialized housing community that was geared toward certain disciplines for students. Evans said the substance-free theme housing communities of Converse Hall and Shorts Hall have existed on campus for eight years, and the other learning communities, such as Ashby Hall, have existed on campus for about five years.

Students who wish to live in a theme house first must go through an application process. There are individual applications for each type of theme housing available on the ORL Web site, web.jmu.edu/reslife/housing. Students who are interested in living in theme housing for the 2004-'05 school year need to complete the application by Feb. 13. Each of the different living communities then has a review panel that will look over the applications it receives and make the final decision. "There are a whole range of students that choose to live in theme housing communities," Evans said.

Theme housing can provide for a good learning experience to students who are interested in living with other students who share unique interests. Applications are available online through the ORL Web site at web.jmu.edu/reslife. Applications for Ashby Hall, Converse Hall and Logan Hall for the 2004-'05 school year all are due Feb. 13. For more information, the ORL can be reached at res-life@jmu.edu.