I love my Roomie BUT....

So your roommate's a bit messier than you.... and maybe he or she is up all night making noise while you're trying to sleep. Welcome to college and living the dorm life! It's typical that some conflict will occur during the year and guess what? It's normal and to be expected. Coming from different backgrounds and being put in a situation where you've got to compromise isn't always easy, but it doesn't have to be hard either! Not to worry, thousands of college students move in every year with the same thoughts and make it through just fine. Before you get upset and decide it's time to move out, think about these things and see how they might work for you.

You shouldn't have to fight for your rights.... Every Resident has the right to:

• Read, study, and sleep in their room with as little intereference as possible. Unreasonable noise inhibit the excercise of this right.


• Enter the room whenever she/he would like
  
• Be free of physical or emotional harassment, intimidation and harm


• Speak openly


• Be treated with respect

Communication is key!
If you're not talking about problems, how will anyone ever know they exist? The first step to working out and solving your problems with roommates is good, healthy communication. Try this:

Step # 1: Speak to your roommate(s) directly and state your issues neautrally. Using "I statements" such as, "I feel like....," or "It is difficult for me when" are helpful in ensuring that others don't feel that thet they must defend themseleves or their actions. Be prepared to listen to their feelings as well and remain objective and open-minded. Remember, this is likely just as difficult for them as it is for you.

Step #2: Revisit each problem and offer and encourage resolutions. Be prepared to hear all possible ideas and understand that each party must play a role in compromising on some level. .

Step #3: Each roommate should list two or three ways in which they can give and take on each point raised. One good way to do this is to ask the question, "What will I do to make this situation a better one." having each person answer this same question and write down their answers is helpful in making sure that everyone is involved in making changes.

Step #4: Write out and sign a "contract" for how you will resolve the concern in a simple format. Talk to your RA and have them take a look and help in getting everything on paper.

Step #5: Agree on a date when you will set aside time to discuss how things are going in relation to the item(s) of concern. Again, have your RA help you with this.... it's great to have a third party invovled to help eeryone stay on track on think from a new perspective.

So maybe this isn't foolproof.... but it's a great start! You have a lot of support in your residence hall so don't be afraid to ask! Need more ideas? Try this website for more helpful hints Suite101.com and when all you want is for your roommate to be "just like you" read this short article from The New york Times.

Oh- and you don't have to go it alone, talk to your RA or another staff member in your building to help you work it out!

Get Ready for Hall Council

Welcome Students!!

As the summer is coming to an end, and the school year is quickly approaching, the Housing and Residence Life staff would like to welcome you to one of our Residence Halls. We are eagerly awaiting your arrival and can't wait to kick off the year with a bang!

We know this is an exciting time for you, and are thrilled that you are either joining our community for the first time or returning for another year with us in Student Housing. There are many great ways to get involved in your community, meet new people, and learn about your new home. If this sounds like something you’re looking to do, consider joining Hall Council!

Like planning parties? Want to get involved with the community? Interested in gaining leadership experience? If you answered yes to any of these questions (and even if you didn't), you should check out your residence hall's Hall Council. HC is a student-led organization that is run by students, for students. It is an excellent way to get involved and build community, as well as have your voice be heard. With positions such as President, Secretary, and Floor Liaison (to name a few), there is something for everyone!

For more information, see the attached flyer and don't forget to ask Housing staff for more information upon your arrival.

We look forward to meeting you soon!

Summer Isn't Over!

Summer isn't over yet and while the recent heat wave may have left some of us a little frazzled (not to mention exhausted and extremely sweaty), summer provides us the perfect opportunity to get out of the apartment and into the open air. Take advantage of the warm weather while you can - before you know it, winter will be in full swing, and as you gaze out of your window at the snow piling up on the empty streets, you'll start to miss that summer sun.

So, where do you begin? The park, of course! New York City has some of the best urban parks in the country, and they're a great place, weather permitting, to enjoy those long summer days and precious cool nights.

• Looking to lay out with shirt off and shades on? Try Central Park’s famous Great Lawn (running mid-park from 79th to 85th st). At over 55 acres, the Lawn is the ideal place to settle in for a picnic or just lie back and soak up the sun. Can't find a spot? Head down to the Sheep Meadow (West side, 66th to 69th st), or up to the North Meadow (mid-park at 97th st).
  
  
• Searching for a place to soak up the sounds of NYC? Hit up Washington Square Park in the West Villlage. With construction in its second phase, the fountain and famous arch are open to the public (5th ave, past w 8th st), and constantly surrounded with students, musicians, and performance artists of all sorts.
  
  
• On a quest for someplace quiet? Pay a visit to the Conservatory Garden, a meticulously manicured pocket of Central Park (entrance at 5th ave and 95th st) that features traditional English, Italian, and French gardens. So what's the appeal? First of all, this hidden gem is not as well known as other areas of the Park, so you can count on fewer people, less noise, and a much higher probability of finding an open bench. Second, the Conservatory Garden is one of NYC's precious few quiet zones - no screaming children, no suits shouting on their cell phones - creating a true haven to get away from the city noise. Open from dawn till dusk, the Garden is an ideal spot to spend the long summer days, and, as a lesser-known point of interest, a perfect way to evade NYC's heavy tourist congestion.
  
  
• Yearning for a younger crowd? No park is more trendy or unique than Chelsea’s High Line Park. The park is located 30 feet above the ground on an out-of-use elevated rail track. Built in the early 1930s as a means of transporting heavy freight across the city, service on the rail was suspended in 1980; thirty years later, the track has been reinvented as a modern, urban oasis. Stage one of the park’s development (which runs from Gansevoort street to 20^th street) is now open to the public everyday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with entrances at Gansevoort, 14^th, 16^th, 18^th, and 20^th.
  
  

The best thing about New York’s parks (aside from being beautiful and completely free) is that they are extremely plentiful – the list above does not even crack the surface of all that New York has to offer. So go explore, and find your own personal haven. Just don’t forget the two cardinal rules of parks in the summer: stay hydrated, and don’t forget the sunscreen!

Written By: Spike Schwab