Pirate Preview 2018

We are very excited to welcome accepted SHU Pirates and their families at Pirate Preview on Saturday, April 7th! This day will be a bit longer than the usual Open Houses. There will be RA-led tours throughout the day in Boland, Aquinas and in Xavier Halls. Blue Crew will be leading tours across campus and through the University Center.   Remember to say hello and be welcoming to our guests while in the halls, but also around campus! See your hall director if you have any questions.

All About Aquinas Hall

Named after Saint Thomas Aquinas, Aquinas Hall holds roughly 430 first year students.  It was recently renovated in 2014, which added a fourth floor to the existing building.  Each suite consists of two rooms and one bathroom.  There are up to five people in a suite.  Each floor has three or four lounges, with a pool table on the first floor.  The front desk is staffed 24 hours a day, there are 12 resident assistants and 2 professional staff members.  Tutors in Residence have a lounge on the third floor dedicated to their tutoring.

All About Boland Hall

Boland Hall is our largest building on campus, holding 700 first year students. Boland Hall is divided into two halves: Boland North and Boland South. The north side has suite style living with up to 6 suite mates of the same gender sharing one bathroom in one suite.  Residents are responsible for cleaning their own bathrooms in the north side.  The south side is community style living with a community of about 30 people sharing a very large bathroom.  University Housekeeping staff keep the south side bathrooms clean.  Boland Hall is also home to the Pirate’s Cellar, the largest lounge in a residence hall.  In the Cellar there are pool tables, a Foosball table, soft seating, tables for studying and a large TV.  Classrooms BH 34 and 35 are located in the back of the Pirate’s Cellar. Tutors in Residence have an office near the main lounge on the first floor. Our partners in Campus Ministry and DOVE are also housed in Boland Hall.  Community members can get to these offices via the door in the Campus Ministry Courtyard.  The front desk is staff 24 hours a day, there are 19 resident assistants and 2 professional staff members who oversee Boland Hall.

 

Remembering the Boland Hall Fire

Every year on January 19th, the University stops and remembers. We remember the lives of three students who tragically lost their lives in a fire which took place in Boland Hall on January 19th, 2000. We remember the 58 students who were injured.   We remember the names of the three boys Aaron Karol, Frank Caltabilota and John Giunta. Every day we remember these young men by the ringing of the Jubilee Bell tower and the Remember Circle in front of Boland Hall. There will be a memorial mass on 1/19 at 5pm in the Chapel immediately followed by a candlelight vigil in front of Boland Hall.  

Meet January’s Featured RA’s!

This month, meet two of our returning Resident Assistants.  Over the past few months, we’ve shone the spotlight on student staff who are serving in their first year as Resident Assistants, but we also have RA’s who choose to apply for a second or third (maybe even fourth!) year to continue to serve the students in our residence halls.

Meet Jen Hobeika!

Jen, originally from Lebanon, entered her second year as an RA in the Complex.  Jen is no stranger to hard work, as she currently manages a Biology major, a Psychology minor and a Catholic Studies minor.  When she isn’t pursuing her career and applying for accelerated Nursing Master’s programs, she is actively involved in Campus Ministry as a work study and as an active participant in St. Paul’s Outreach programs.  Jen believes she is “called to help people” and puts that calling into action by serving at a local soup kitchen weekly and putting her energies into the RA position.  Jen also has an adventurous side, having bungee jumped last summer and planning to skydive for her 21st birthday.  In the RA position, Jen loves building community and creating unique, positive, and quality relationships with and between the students on her floor.  Jen reflects on her first program ever as an RA as one of her successes in the position.  Hosting a “Detox and Destress” program, she invited over 100 residents to enjoy smoothies, bubbles, and other stress relief activities.  Jen loves the RA position because it’s constantly evolving and unpredictable. If you want to join Jen as an RA next year, she recommends knowing who you are and being uniquely you throughout the entire interview process.

Meet Dwyght Pena!

Dwyght is a rare RA, potentially looking to return for a fourth year.  Having served the students in Complex for two years, he has embraced working with first year students in Aquinas Hall.  Dwyght is proud of his membership in Sigma Pi fraternity and is actively engaged in the entire Seton Hall Greek community as the Vice President of Marketing for the Inter-Fraternity Council here at SHU.  Dwyght, who is originally from Massachusetts, credits his RA, Doug Stringham, with influencing him to apply for the position.  Dwyght, with Doug’s encouragement, was able  network on his floor and throughout the building, stepping outside the comfort zone of his room.  Dwyght applies this lesson in helping his eager first year students make the most out of their Seton Hall experience.  His desire to return to the position for a fourth year is driven by the desire to impact students’ lives.  As for those who want to be an RA, Dwyght wants you to know that you don’t need to be a social giant, but you need to have a genuine desire and ability to build meaningful relationships with students in your building.

Housing and Residence Life will be hosting two more information sessions in January for students who want to be like Jen and Dwyght!  They will be held on Thursday, January 18th at 6 PM in the Chancellor’s Suite and on Friday, January 19th at 2 PM in the Nursing Amphitheatre.

Clean your Room!!

As students prepare to leave the residence halls and go home for break, HRL would like to remind students to do a general cleaning of their rooms.  Throw away any food, unplug your fridge and put a towel under it, put away any papers, and throw away any trash. Students are also asked to take their pet fish home too!  If a room has a vacancy in it, we ask that students remove any belongings from that side of the room.  Please be sure to wipe down the bathroom (where applicable).  Here is a handy checklist:

https://www.thespruce.com/intensely-clean-a-dorm-room-1900917

 

Quiet Hours begin December 11

To encourage studying and success for finals, quiet hours in the residence halls will begin on December  11th  at  midnight  .  Noise should not be heard more then 2 doors away from a room. Staff members will be enforcing the noise policy 24 hours a day until the residence halls close for the Holiday Break.  See your hall staff if you have any questions! Good luck on your finals.  Happy Studying!

Quiet Hours

Some resources for students and parents as we approach Winter Break!

With the halls closing for Winter Break on December 20th at 10 AM, Housing and Residence Life wants to provide some resources to our parents and students who will be experiencing the first long break of the academic year.

Students and their families have changed and grown since Move-In Day in August and it’s important to recognize that expectations may have changed.

Here are some useful articles to help our Pirates and Pirate families navigate Winter Break –

When college students come home, stress and tension can mount

Winter break means adjusting to life back home

College Students Returning Home for the Holidays

Holiday Survival Guide for College Students and Parents

5 Ways to Adjust to Winter Break

 

Meet December’s Featured RA’s!

Housing and Residence Life is happy to introduce this month’s featured Resident Assistants.  Zachary Case and Jonathan Veenstra each joined staff this fall and work in Complex and Xavier Halls respectively.  As fate would have it, they are both founding fathers of Phi Delta Theta fraternity here at Seton Hall!

Zach, who laughed throughout our entire interview and swears he is “always happy”, comes to Seton Hall from South Brunswick, NJ.  He is an Accounting major with a minor in Spanish.  When he isn’t serving as an RA or a founding father of Phi Delta Theta, which Zach says takes up the majority of his time, he enjoys watching “Riverdale” and “Survivor” and playing on his intramural volleyball team.  Zach credits his RA, Tim, helping him through the adjustment of living with someone for the first time as his motivation for applying for a position.  He wanted to help people like his RA helped him.  Zach also loves the community he has established among the other RA’s on his staff, knowing that he can always count on a fellow RA to grab a meal with him in the dining hall.  Zach, who works with students in our upperclass area, finds it easier to build relationships with his residents because they are familiar with campus and how they can utilize the RA.  Zach encourages anyone going through this year’s RA selection process to be confident through the interview process and acknowledges that being selected from the alternate roster and hired as an RA has helped him become more confident in himself.

Where Zach enjoys volleyball and Netflix, Jon is a true blue Pirate Blue fan, splitting his time between being an RA in Xavier Hall and serving as one of the managers of the men’s basketball team.  Jon’s passion for basketball is present in every aspect of his life, including academics, as he is a Sports Management major with hopes to take on Sports Media as a double major.  Originally from North Haledon, Jon always has a built in “fun fact” for icebreakers because he is a triplet.  Jon chose Seton Hall because of its reputable Sports Management program and can’t help but acknowledge his favorite color is blue, so SHU is a natural fit for him.  Jon doesn’t believe you need to be an “in your face” person to be a successful RA.  He channels his energies by being a quiet presence on the staff, making himself available and creating a safe space for his residents.  They’ve seen his efforts and celebrated him when his “12 Dogs of Christmas” bulletin board won bulletin board of the month which made him feel good about the community he has created.  Jon encourages anyone who is even considering the RA position to apply, because that’s the only way you’ll be able to learn about yourself throughout the interview process.

Housing and Residence Life will be hosting four more information sessions if you’re interested in joining the RA staff for 2018-2019.

Winter Break Housing Requests Now Open

The Winter Break application is now open, and will remain open until Monday, December 11th at noon. Below is a copy of the email that was just sent to residents:

All Residence Halls except for Boland Hall, Xavier Hall, Turrell Manor, and Ora Manor will close on Wednesday, December 20th, 2017 at 10:00AM for Winter Break, and will re-open on Monday, January 15th at 2PM. Break Housing Applications will only be approved for those with extenuating circumstances. Break Housing is NOT GUARANTEED, and to be eligible for accommodation, you MUST follow the process and deadline schedule below, as NO EXCEPTIONS will be made.

In order to be eligible for Break Housing, you MUST meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • Live more than 6 hours away from the University.
  • Be an international resident.
  • Be an active in season athlete.
  • Have a university work commitment.

 IF YOU DO NOT MEET ANY OF THE ABOVE CRITERIA, YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR BREAK HOUSING.

If eligible for Break Housing, your break housing options are:

  • You currently reside in one of the open residence halls.
  • You have a friend, (of the same gender), who resides in one of the open residence halls and agrees to let you temporarily stay in their housing assignment during the break.
    • Please be aware that you are responsible for any damages that occur in the housing assignment during your stay.
    • It is YOUR responsibility to both receive and safely return the key to your friend.
    • There is a maximum of two break housing students per room.

How to Apply for Break Housing:

  • Where to apply:
    • Log onto PirateNet
    • Navigate to your Housing Profile under “Profile and Finances”
    • Click on “Access Housing Profile”.
    • The Break Housing Application can be found at the top of your Housing Profile under the “Application” tab, located in the black bar on the top page.
  • Who may apply: Students who meet the above criteria and have exhausted all other alternatives.
  • Who needs approval: Break Housing Applicants must receive approval from HRL Staff prior to break via email. If you do not reside in one of the halls which will remain open, it is YOUR responsibility to find a friend of the same gender who will allow you to use their room. If you are denied Break Housing, you must vacate when the residence halls close.

Break Housing Due Dates:

  • Tuesday, November 28th: Break Housing Application becomes available via your Housing Profile on PirateNet.
  • Monday, December 11th at 12PM: Break Housing Application will close. No late submissions will be accepted!
  • Tuesday, December 12th: Break Housing Applicants will be notified of approval status via email.
  • Wednesday, December 20th at 10AM: All halls (except Boland, Xavier, Ora, and Turrell) close for Winter break.  All students NOT approved, must vacate!
  • Monday, January 15th, 2018 at 2PM: Halls re-open. Dinner will be the first meal served.

Break Housing is NOT GUARANTEED. Please consider these back-up options prior to applying:

  • Find a friend to stay within the local area
  • Look up hotels to stay at in the area (if we are unable to accommodate you)
  • Find alternate modes of transportation
  • Carpool with others (you can post ride requests on your Facebook page)
  • Meet family halfway

Please be mindful that the SHU Fly and SAFE RIDE will NOT be operational during the break. During Thanksgiving Break, on campus dining options will be limited.

If you have any questions about Break Housing, please email SHUHousing@shu.edu, or contact your Residence Hall Director.

Finish the Semester Strong!