Page 3 - FreePress201314

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NEWS

First-year students live with FYS classmates for LLC Pilot Program

SHARINA TAVERAS LOPEZ sors can reserve the common room and do activities
for their students or for the three classes together.
Staff Reporter

The Living Learning Community Pilot Program, a Rouzer Hall. Rouzer was the best place to start this program, ex-
plained. Robbins, because it has the advantages of
new initiative involving three Pirst Year Seminar classes Dr. Gretchen Kreahling McKay, Chair of the Depart- having two bathrooms' in each wing, so that each of
the different wings' bathrooms could be for the op-
that live together on the 4th floor of Rouzer Hall, aims ment of Art and Art History and Associate Professor posite gender.
. According to Robbins, students are not necessarily
to prove that living and learning together help students of Art History, explained that her class is perfect for rooming with someone in their class; the purpose of
this program is to have the three classes all live togeth-
academically and socially. this program because living together facilitates the dis- er on the same floor.
Robbins said that for this program, Residence Life as-
According to Dean Beth Gerl, Vice President of Stu- . cussion between her students since they have constant signed two residence life assistants on the floor for
extra help, while usually there is only one assistant per
dent Affairs, the program features the collaboration of. contact in their living space. floor.

Student Affairs and Academic Affairs where everyone McKay said that her class consists of each student tak- There areA8 students who are part of the LLC Pilot
works together including peer mentors, professors, and ing the role of a historical figure and they have to make Program plus two resident assistants. They also have
resident assistants. . decisions based on their character about the discussion five commuters in the program, so each ,of the com-
Gerl explained that this is not a new idea that McDaniel they have in class that particular day in teams. muters was assigned a key to go into Rouzer.
College is adopting because this is a program that has According to McKay, she has been teaching this FYS Peer mentor and senior, Teal Koch, an English major,
been done on other campuses around the nation. class since 2007. She feels that this is the most engaged from Dr. Robert Kachur's Horror in Fiction and Film
The selection was based on registration. Gerl said that class, explained that she is having fun and she is very
whoever signed up for the three classes that were in- "They are so much happy with this new opportunity of being part of the
cluded in the LLC Program automatically got placed LLC Pilot Program, since this is her first year working
as a peer mentor .
into it. Then, each student got a notice in their email more connected than
notifying them that they were part of the program. .

The professors and classes involved are Dean Lisa any group of First
Breslin's Journalism in the 21 st Century class, Dr. Rob-

ert Kachur's Horror in Fiction and Film class, and Dr. Years I've seen"
Gretchen Kreahling McKay's From Chaos to Compro-

mise class. . . . 'class she eyer has had because of the LLC Program. • I "It's such a unique experience for the students in-
According to Gerl, even though It IS a great commit-
ment to be part of this program, these three professors Students from Dr. McKay's From Chaos to Compro- volved and they are so much more connected than
mise class talked about how much they love living and any group of First Years I've seen before," said Koch .:
were immediately interested in participating.
learning together. , Though Koch does not live in Rouzer, she has a key
"I think that LLC is an initiative that we all hope for,"
said Breslin, Acting Associate Dean of Student Aca- Julie Doyle said that Dr. McKay has been like their so that she can do activities in the lounge area with her
mentees. They did a film. screening and they plan to
demic Life, "Students learn together and socialize to- mother since the beginning of the.program.
Mike Gallagher said that living in Rouzer Hall is fun hold more classes and events in that space.
gether." .
Dr. Robert Kachur, chair of the Department of En- because they get to walk across and talk to people. Rick Gerl said that the committee decided to make the
glish, has done first year seminars for many years so Rickman said that they can hang out in and outside of LLC Pilot Program with as few students as possible
class. because it is very easy to evaluate at the end and see
Student Affairs andAcademic Affairs asked him to be
LLC Program is where '''everyone loves everybody," the pros and cons of the program.
part of the program.
said Aaron Bryant. At the end of the year, Gerl explained, Academic Af-
Kachur said that the students are doing really well, they
are friendly with each other, and they feel very com- According to Michael Robbins, Director of Residence fairs and Students Affairs will be evaluating the stu-
Life, the new lounge has a TV on the wall with a Por- dents by asking them questions or for feedback about
fortable.
table DVD player. They also have a white board and. the program to do an analysis of what were the out-
"There is a group spirit in the class," said Kachur.
Kachur also explained that more than changing the strips of cork all around the room to put up any ideas comes of this program, how can they work on it; and
way they teach, this program provides opportunities students have or if professors want to hang something how can they expand it in the future.
there .
. for professors. It offers new spaces to teach in, like a
Continued on McDanieIFreePress.com
Gerl explained that they have a calendar where profes-