When students move out of the dorms, they may expect a certain level of freedom.
But for some students living in the new University Village Apartments, having community peers doesn’t necessarily fit in with the lifestyle they desired.
University Village employs mentors
Chela Sproles, left, resident director of the University Village Apartments, and Stephanie Whaley, center, assistant community director, help psychology sophomore Kristyn Wong set up for an activity night she planned at the apartment community center.
Community peers act like mentors in the apartments, doing daily rounds and checking in on the residents.
“It’s a little bit absurd – we live in apartments,” said Ann Gordenier, an international relations and social relations and policy junior. “We don’t need to be baby-sat.”
University Village opened this semester for upperclassmen and is the third university-owned complex.
Chela Sproles, resident director at University Village, said the Department of Residence Life didn’t want students to feel isolated.
“We wanted to make sure our staff was visible so that we are interacting with residents,” she said. “Now students can have the best of two worlds at University Village. It is technically on campus and not only do they have a connection with the MSU community but they can actually form a community within the complex, which you don’t find at other complexes.”
Gordenier and her roommate Diana Schwab said they haven’t gotten in trouble with the community peers while they were doing rounds at night, but said it’s still weird to have them in apartments.
“We’ve heard parties going on, but it’s supposed to happen – we’re in college. We don’t live in a retirement home,” Gordenier said. “For the most part we know a lot of the people in the building, so I would hope someone could just say, ‘Turn it down,’ rather than taking it to the higher authority.”
Several students in the complex knew of at least one apartment whose inhabitants had gotten in trouble.
Gordenier said having community peers won’t be enough to make her move out next year.
“I love living here; it’s brand new and everything is included in the price,” she said.
The other two university-owned complexes, Spartan Village and Cherry Lane Apartments, have Residence Life programs, but they do not have community peers doing rounds, Sproles said.
Residence Life is not there to police the students, she said.
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“We aren’t inhibiting people’s freedom by having rounds,” Sproles said. “Character is not necessarily about what you do when everyone is watching; it’s about what you do when you don’t think anyone is watching.”
Lisa Danno, a hospitality business and Spanish junior, said she didn’t know what the purpose of the community peers were and said she has never seen one around.
“It’s nice that they try to organize events,” Danno said. “But I have never seen them around – I wouldn’t be able to pick them out of a crowd.”
Sproles said Residence Life will have events every week for students to participate in.
“Since we have mostly upperclassmen there we have different programing needs to help MSU students, not only in their personal development but their academic development,” she said.
Next year, Danno said she will get an apartment off campus.
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“I will be 21 then and I don’t want to have to deal with mentors,” Danno said.
She said the apartments are a little pricey, costing $600 a month including utilities, and she said will save money by moving.
There will be career planning events. This month there will be salsa lessons because September is Hispanic heritage month, Sproles said.
“We just want to make sure it’s a fun, safe environment for everyone. Everybody has the right to sleep and study at any time of the day, which is not so true at other places,” Sproles said.
