Maple Hill dorm to offer 'intellectual community feel'
Pamela Acosta
Issue date: 3/12/07 Section: News
Sponsored by the Career Development Center, PDI is a program to encourage career development through workshops, guest speakers and other activities, according to the Career Development Web site.
"They're not difficult or challenging, but they're going to be part of the community," Howard said.
The community will help Fortenberry further her career goals because it will give her experience in working with people, she said.
If she had not signed up for Maple Hill, Fortenberry would have lived in the Northwest Quad, but thinks she would have missed that interaction with people and the opportunity Maple Hill will offer, she said.
"Anywhere else, I would've just stayed in my room and in Maple Hill, I think I'll get to know my hall mates better," Fortenberry said.
One of the concerns with these types of communities is the isolation factor, but both Howard and Fortenberry said it wasn't a concern.
Holcombe is fairly far from the other dorms, and Fortenberry was still able to meet people outside her community, she said.
The Maple Hill enclosed community won't be as isolated for sophomores, but "freshmen will definitely have to get out there," Fortenberry said. "It's good that they'll have a really close community in Maple."
Another concern that could come up is that no upperclassmen will live in Maple Hill, and Fortenberry thinks that element will be missing.
"Even the most experienced [residents] have only experienced college life for a year," she said.
The courtyard will be open to non-residents.
With 700 students and their friends coming in, isolation is not a concern, Howard said.
All the buildings allow access only to the people who live in them, for reasons of security and also to make it feel like home.
It's a balance between security and isolation, Howard said.
This is a move away from all-freshman halls, and housing officials are testing to see if the interaction works. One of the requirements is a "buddy program," which requires sophomores to mentor freshmen.
"They're not difficult or challenging, but they're going to be part of the community," Howard said.
The community will help Fortenberry further her career goals because it will give her experience in working with people, she said.
If she had not signed up for Maple Hill, Fortenberry would have lived in the Northwest Quad, but thinks she would have missed that interaction with people and the opportunity Maple Hill will offer, she said.
"Anywhere else, I would've just stayed in my room and in Maple Hill, I think I'll get to know my hall mates better," Fortenberry said.
One of the concerns with these types of communities is the isolation factor, but both Howard and Fortenberry said it wasn't a concern.
Holcombe is fairly far from the other dorms, and Fortenberry was still able to meet people outside her community, she said.
The Maple Hill enclosed community won't be as isolated for sophomores, but "freshmen will definitely have to get out there," Fortenberry said. "It's good that they'll have a really close community in Maple."
Another concern that could come up is that no upperclassmen will live in Maple Hill, and Fortenberry thinks that element will be missing.
"Even the most experienced [residents] have only experienced college life for a year," she said.
The courtyard will be open to non-residents.
With 700 students and their friends coming in, isolation is not a concern, Howard said.
All the buildings allow access only to the people who live in them, for reasons of security and also to make it feel like home.
It's a balance between security and isolation, Howard said.
This is a move away from all-freshman halls, and housing officials are testing to see if the interaction works. One of the requirements is a "buddy program," which requires sophomores to mentor freshmen.
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