NSU Horizons Winter 2008 - 2009

9 horizons D ays before attending his first class at Nova Southeastern University in fall 2007, Jean Torres was set to be a commuter student. After all, he lived less than 10 miles away in Miramar with his tight-knit family of four brothers, one sister, and parents who wanted their son—the first in the family to go to college—to stay under their roof. “I even had my commuter parking decal,” he recalled. But on the day his classmates began moving into the residence halls, Torres had a change of heart. He researched on-campus housing, talked it over with one of his brothers, and, at two o’clock the next morning, made the decision to live on campus. Two days later, with the blessing of his parents, Torres moved into The Commons, the newly opened residence hall on NSU’s main campus. Torres is not alone in seeking out the advantages of living on campus. The campus resident popu- lation at NSU has nearly tripled over the past two years, thanks to the opening of two new residence halls that allow NSU to now house 1,492 students. The first new hall, The Commons, opened in fall 2007 with 525 beds. The Rolling Hills Graduate Apartments opened this past July, providing 373 beds for graduate students in two buildings. Originally erected as a hotel, but renovated by NSU, it is located less than one mile west of the main campus. As a result of the larger on- campus community, NSU has seen an increase in participation in stu- dent clubs and organizations, more student programs and events, and an overall increase in student engage- ment. Even though undergraduate students from Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties are not required to live on campus, one-third of on-campus residents come from the tri-county area. For Torres, who was entering his junior year as a transfer student from Miami-Dade College, the last-minute decision to live in the halls also stemmed from a desire to become a part of the campus community. “I wanted to get involved in school, and I was aware that it would be more difficult if I was a commuter,” Torres said. He soon joined the Pre-Dental Society and the Student Government Association and was hired as an orientation leader. He also got involved within the residence halls, becoming vice president of the Residential Student Association. This year, Torres is a resident adviser (RA) in The Commons. “When you live on campus, your resources are so close to you,” Torres said. “You have a million opportunities to do whatever you want with your education.” The halls themselves offer plenty of resources. Both The Commons and Rolling Hills Graduate Apartments have themed housing, which enables students with similar interests, or those in the same academic program, to be housed on the same residence hall floor. Themed floors in The Commons include Leadership I for freshmen, Leadership II for upperclassmen, the Greek Village, Business and Entrepreneurship, the Quiet Community, and the Global Village. The Rolling Hills Graduate Apartments has floors for students studying law, humanities and social sciences, psy- chology, and the health professions. “Our mission in the Office of Residential Life and Housing is to provide residential students with a safe and comfortable environment where they can live and learn,” said Anthony DeSantis, NSU’s director of housing. “The growth of our on-campus population will provide our campus with more school spirit and overall involvement in and out of the classroom.” Other recent campus additions have also made living in the halls more desirable. The University Center—complete with a food court; 110,000-square-foot workout facility that includes a pool, a 4,500-seat arena for concerts and NSU athletics events; and a performing and visual arts wing—provides dining, recre- ational, and entertainment options just steps from most of the halls. Right next door is the Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center, the largest library building in Florida. New this year, the men’s and women’s soccer teams played their games on fields right behind The Commons and Goodwin Hall, giving residents front- row seats to Sharks athletics. For most students, though, it’s simply the experience that draws them to the residence halls. “I am often amazed how many times that I talk to people, even adults in their later years, that say, ‘I met my best friend the first day I moved into the halls’,” said Brad Williams, Ed.D., dean of student affairs. “I don’t think you can replicate that anywhere else. There’s something special and almost magical about the relationships you build in a residence hall.” It’s a magic that entranced Torres, as he takes what he learned as a resident last year and passes it along to residents on his floor in The Commons. “Living with people, you get to know them on a different level,” he said. “It teaches you about different cultures, different religions, how people like to be treated. I believe it teaches you a lot about life.” ■ Live and Learn: On-Campus Housing Is Home Away from Home