By
Emily Severson
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Hall directors individualize student programs
For some students, returning to the residence halls after winter break was easy. But for others such as Alexis Kelty, who chose to switch dorms this semester, moving out proved to be much more of a hassle.
"This time moving in is more difficult because I switched dorms," said Kelty, a political science and psychology freshman who moved from Coconino Residence Hall to Arizona-Sonora Residence Hall. "If I hadn't had to move stuff, moving in would have felt much more like returning home."
During the past two days, University of Arizona Residence Life has been a part of new student orientation, giving a presentation to parents and an information fair for all new students, said Pamela Obando, an associate director of Residence Life.
"The number of new students moving into residence halls is small compared to the number of returning, so we do not have as many big activities as we do in the fall," Obando said.
The number of students that can move into the dormitories spring semester depends on how many graduate or do not come back to live in the residence halls, so it is not as busy, Obando said.
She added that most of the activities to welcome returning or new students were planned individually during the past week by hall directors, resident assistants and community assistants, which is different from fall semester when Residence Education plans most activities. There will probably be a bigger emphasis on RAs and CAs getting to know the new students, but it will vary in each dormitory or student apartment, she said.
One resident of Coconino, undeclared freshman Megan Joyce, said that returning to the residence halls after winter break was much easier than moving in the fall.
"It was really easy," she said. "I knew where everything was and where to put all my stuff back in my room. It was very different from when I moved in at first."
Both Joyce and Kelty agreed that their RAs were not as much of their process of moving in as they had been in the fall.
David Galindo, a management information systems freshman and a resident of Palm Shadows Apartments, said that moving in this semester was less of a worry because most students already are acquainted.
"I didn't have too much to move in this time except for one suitcase," Galindo said. "It felt good coming back home because this time I knew a lot more people."
"It is really nice when students say they are glad to be back home, meaning they consider their dorms their home away from home," Obando said. "It is very different from when students come in the fall and don't know anyone."
She said that in the fall, a lot of the activities Residence Life plans for its students focus on the transition from living at home to moving into a dormitory.
Most of the dormitories will still have the same programs they had fall semester for their students, such as free tutoring services and common class lists, Obando said.
Most new programs will be individually planned by residence halls and each hall may choose to focus on different aspects of student life, she said.
The residence halls and student apartments opened at 9 a.m. on Sunday and new students had to check in by 1 p.m. yesterday.
