First floor sessions end Week of Welcome

When freshmen arrived at Marshall University Wednesday, Aug. 18, with many questions and concerns, Marshall administration greeted them with the Week of Welcome to make the transition fun and exciting for first-time students.

After attending sessions to get to know deans, professors and other administrators, the event came to a close on Sunday night when campus residents attended the first floor meeting in his or her residence hall.

Stephanie Hurley, Marshall Residence Life specialist, explained the first meeting as a chance for students to learn about the resident hall in which they will be living for the next year as well and acquainted with other students living on the floor.

"This is a really cool opportunity for students to feel everything out," Hurley said. "They get to learn what it means to be a part of this new community and what to expect as a new resident."

Students were given a few tips on living with a roommate for the first time, including how to handle disputes.

"We were told to try to work it out first if we had problems with our roommates, then take them to our adviser. We will all have some problems," O'Neil said.     

Students were also informed of safety regulations and given a few tips for keeping themselves safe.

"I learned so much from my floor meeting," said Ranesha Wallington, freshman psychology major from Beckley, W.Va. "We talked about safety issues, such as rape and stalking."

Each residence hall features 24-hour security in the main lobby, as well as live-in resident advisers on each floor to assist students.

"My RA is really cool.  She made it a point to learn each of our first and last names and get to know us," said Shelby Villines, a freshman biochemistry major from Rossville, Ga.

While students were given the opportunity to meet their floor mates during the meetings, most students have found they have met more people just hanging out around their residence halls.

 "I liked my floor meeting because I got a good feel for the rules and what to expect from my RA," said Kyle Ford, freshman business administration major from Philadelphia, Pa. "But I think I have met a lot more people just hanging out around campus than in my floor meeting."

Tiffany Bajus can be contacted at bajus@marshall.edu.