It’s all free — food, fun games and the company of friends. These things along with educational speakers make up the monthly programs by the Department of Housing and Resident Life.
These programs are an opportunity for people to have fun and relax, and for residents to get involved, said Renee Couch, associate director of the DHRL. “It makes our residents halls more than a place to hang up their clothes,” she said.
Each month, two or three residence halls put on separate educational programs.
“Programs in residence halls address issues all of us are dealing with,” said Couch.
Programs have focused on myriad subjects, including sex, weight control and interpersonal problems, and students find them useful. This month’s program – about relationships – has a lot of heart, since it’s during Valentine’s week. Resident advisors plan and present the programs.
“RA’s work hard to come up with inventive and educational activities,” Jablonski said.
Incentives to attend the programs include prizes and free food. Once residents are there, they receive helpful information from a speaker specializing in a given field, as well as assistance in dealing with their own issues, Couch said.
“Students gain information and it helps them to talk about their concerns,” she said.
Programs also introduce them to contacts on campus, Couch said. “Residents are more likely to stay in school,” she said, “if they know someone they can go to about problems.”
Upcoming programs include a relationship program Thursday at 9 p.m. in Lucille Clement and a future program at Buc Village featuring the movie Extremities, leading up to Take Back the Night.

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