Gardner Residence Hall
is often known around campus as one of the freshman halls and having
the smallest rooms on campus. However, Gardner can also boast about
housing the Wellness Floor community.
The main purpose of the program is to provide students a place to
be that is smoke, alcohol and drug-free, said Evelyn A. Wallington,
associate director of Residence Life. Interest in the Wellness Program,
offered by the department of housing and residence life, continues
to grow each year.
The fifth and sixth floors of Gardner Hall house the 68 participating
students this year, said Phyllis J. Yates, assignment coordinator
for the department of housing and residence life.
The floor offers opportunities and programs that focus on social,
physical, intellectual, career, emotional and spiritual aspects of
college life, according to the 2002-2003 Appalachian State University
Residence Hall License & Contract.
Students are required to attend a minimum of four such activities
a semester to remain in the program.
The floors usually run a “Great Debate” program at the beginning
of each year, said Jennings W. Berry Jr., fifth floor RA and senior
psychology major from Elon.
“ We try to get people out of their comfort zones immediately,”
said Berry, who has been the RA for three years. “We get into
debates and discussion more than any other floor [on campus].”
Still, most communication occurs spontaneously, often in the lobby
late at night, said Berry.
“Everyone gets to know 33 other people off the bat, making it
feel almost like a club,” said Berry.
What initially attracts people to the floor is the substance-free
atmosphere, said Wallington.
Wallington said even those students who did not apply to be on the
floor often end up staying because of the community atmosphere.
“It’s amazing the community that is built,” said Wallington.
The floor looks to be achieving their goal of keeping a substance-free
environment.
In the past three years, a student has not left the floor because
of problems related to drugs or alcohol, said Wallington.
Several stereotypes about the Wellness Floor exist on campus, said
Berry. The most prevalent one is that all the students living on the
floor are Christians.
“I usually tell people it’s half and half as far as Christianity
to other religions,” said Berry.
“Any time you put a name on a floor, it can create problems,”
said Berry.
Berry and Alicia R. Laffin, sixth floor RA and a sophomore elementary
education major from Boone, have different problems than most RAs,
said Berry. They must plan more programs for the floor, while still
trying to be a friend and not just the RA.
“Sometimes I have to deal with female issues, which I wouldn’t
if I was on an all-guy floor, but there are less alcohol & drug
situations,” said Berry.
“It seems to work well, and people have expressed the desire
for it,” said Wallington.
The Wellness Floor opened in 1996 with just one floor and then moved
to two floors due to demand, said Judith M. Haas, associate director
of judicial affairs.
The floor was originally created because students were expressing
an interest in a floor that would promote holistic health, said Rick
L. Geis, director of Housing and Residence Life.
Despite the addition of a second floor a few years ago, the Housing
and Residence Life office continues to keep the floors co-ed. Female
students occupy one half, with the males on the other half.
“I have yet to hear any complaints about the living situation,”
said Geis.
While interest by gender is usually even, more females leave the floor
during the course of the year, said Yates.
Appalachian State University is moving towards theme housing, said
Yates. |
