The WE CAN Ecolympics has three competitions between residence halls, campus buildings, and a second competition among residence halls to see which facility continues with the recycling and energy conservation efforts after the competition is over.

The Summit Hall students proved that it is possible to recycle, be sustainable and have fun at the same time. I feel that if all WVU students put forth an effort to be more sustainable, WVU’s campus will easily become more “green.”

Some believe that RAs should receive priority registration because they have to schedule their classes around their busy work schedule. RAs say that being an RA is a 24-hour job that requires a very large time commitment.

However, if RAs receive priority scheduling, where does that put other student workers with a busy work schedule? If RAs receive priority scheduling, will other student workers be at a disadvantage?

I have a part-time job, and I believe that RAs should not receive priority scheduling. If they gives priority scheduling to RAs, I believe that that they need to give it to many other student workers, as well. It simply isn’t fair for all students who want to work and attend school at the same time.

However, if you ask any current WVU student about which dorm is the best, you will get a wide variety of answers. Many will respond with the dorm they lived in their freshmen year.

Since all of WVU’s residence halls are unique, the “best dorm to live in” is based on personal preference.

If you are looking to live downtown, you might want to live in Stalnaker, Dadisman, Boreman, Arnold, Summit or the Honors Hall.

If you wouldn’t mind living on Evansdale and taking the PRT to class everyday, then Towers, Lincoln or Fieldcrest might be for you.

Air-conditioning might be an important aspect to consider, as well. While all of the Evansdale dorms are air-conditioned, the only downtown dorms that have AC are Stalnaker, Summit and the Honors Hall.

Many people prefer “suite-style” rooms, while some prefer hall bathrooms. Stalnaker, Boreman South, Arnold, Summit, the Honors Hall, Lincoln and Fieldcrest have suite-style rooms in their halls.

However, Towers, Dadisman and Boreman North have hall bathrooms. This is important to consider, as some people don’t like walking down the hall in a bathrobe.

For my freshmen year, I lived in a suite-style room in Boreman South. I liked the suite-style setup because I didn’t have to worry about walking down the hall to take a shower or brush my teeth. I also loved how close I was to campus. I could leave for a class 5 minutes before it started and still make it a few minutes early.

As high school seniors complete their housing checklist, I hope that they will research the dorms and select the best one for them.

These plans range from about $1,500-2,100 each semester.

However, most students are unhappy with the residence halls cafeteria and want more “bang for their buck.”

According to the WVU Dining Web site, meal periods are established for the Mountaineer Card system to differentiate between meals being used. Breakfast is served from opening until 10:30 a.m., lunch is served from 10:31 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., and dinner is served from 3:31 p.m. until close.

In other words, with some of the more inexpensive meal plan options, you are allowed one “swipe” per meal period. So if you are hungry twice in a meal period, you must wait until the next meal period begins before you satisfy your hunger. Due to odd class schedules and weird eating habits of college students, many students find this extremely frustrating and inconvenient.

Combined with the mystery meat and tasteless options in some cafeterias, maybe the whole WVU dining system needs some attention.

As a freshman, I was personally frustrated when I would swipe my card for dinner, find nothing that looked appetizing, and eat nothing but a bowl of cereal. Why should I have to pay the full meal plan price if I don’t use it entirely?

I think that a more relaxed visitation policy would keep upperclassmen living on campus.

The majority of students never return to the dorms after the required freshmen year of on-campus residence. Sure, the dorm food isn’t great, but the visitation policy is inconvenient, as well.

Students want to be treated like adults. It doesn’t take them long to realize that they can be treated like adults if they no longer live in WVU housing.

A more relaxed visitation policy, such as allowing visitors 24/7, might be worth a shot. Having upperclassmen on campus comes with many advantages. If they live alongside first-year students, freshmen immediately have someone they can go to if they have any questions about what classes to take or how to get to Wal-Mart.

Will WVU ever modify the residence hall visitation policy? Only time will tell…

RAs must also staff the front desks and “rove” the halls in the evening. Several times each semester, they also must organize a “floor program,” a group activitiy for their floor residents. Some floors may play wiffleball or frisbee, make Valentine’s Day cards for a charitable organization, tie-dye t-shirts or have a movie night.

However, sometimes being an RA isn’t all fun and games. They work hard to enforce the rules within the residence halls. If a student is, for example, drinking in the dorm, RAs have to write them up and  disciplinary action will be taken on the resident. Many RAs will tell you that this is their least favorite part of their job.

Being an RA is a tough, stressful jobs that takes up a lot of time. It is hard for RAs to balance schoolwork and their job in the residence hall. However, each RA receives free room and board as well as a bi-monthly stipend.

Serving as a resident assistant isn’t for everyone, but it can be a very rewarding job.

The residence hall and the campus building with the largest energy savings is declared the winner.

This competition is important because it encourages students to recycle and brings awareness to the issue of energy savings. Doing something as simple as turning a light off when you are not using it can save WVU thousands of dollars each year. This is especially important to remember during these tough economic times.

Students are encouraged to get involved in the competition by not only saving energy and recycling, but also participating in various games and a scavenger hunt.

Hopefully, the Ecolympics will start lifelong recycling habits for WVU students.

More information about the Ecolympics can be found at http://wecan.wvu.edu/.

From the moment you move into your dorm, you are automatically a part of a new community. Your resident assistant (RA) becomes your mentor and role model, and your floormates become your new friends.

The residence halls also provide many opportunities to join clubs within your dorm and get to know other students. For example, WVU’s Boreman Hall offers the “Boreman Hall Outdoor Recreation Experience.”  This club provides Boreman Hall students with opportunities to participate in outdoor activities. For example, they may go hiking, rock climbing, or camping.

Boreman Hall also offers a bible study, crafts club, fine arts club, and a community service club.

If you are a student thinking about coming to WVU, the residence halls provide an excellent opportunity to join a new community and have a home away from home.

When we arrive for our freshman year of college, we are excited about beginning another chapter of our life. We are no longer under the immediate supervision of our parents. We’re adults. Right?

WVU doesn’t seem to agree. The current residence hall visitation policy doesn’t allow overnight visitors of the opposite sex. It also doesn’t allow any visitors after midnight.

What are the people in charge of the dormitories trying to prevent from happening? And is it happening anyway?

If anything, I find the current visitation policy in the dormitories quite annoying. I thought that we were all adults here. Unfortunately, I am still following rules about curfews.

Within the past year, WVU students have brought a large fight against the current visitation policy. The Student Government Association, Resident Assistant Council, and the Office of Social Justice have all gotten involved in proposing a change to the current policy.

Those involved are hopeful that within the next couple of years, we will see a change in the policy.