Open house to help ease transfer students’ transitions
The event will showcase
programs and services
that transfer students
may not he aware of
By Kristina Rudinskas
Oregon Daily Emerald
Jessica Nelson, a counselor at
academic: advising and student
services, wants to help transfer
students make the transition to the
University community a little eas
ier.
“A lot of the time students who
transfer here aren't aware of the
educational opportunities,” Nel
son said. ‘‘It takes a couple of
weeks for it to sink in how differ
ent things are here.”
An open house will be held to
day in the EMU Walnut Room
from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to answer
frequently asked questions and to
introduce students to campus re
sources.
Several student services organi
zations will be present, including
the Career Center, Academic
Learning Services, Academic Ad
vising, the Counseling Center and
representatives from the Admis
sions, the Registrar and the Finan
cial Aid offices.
Nelson says transfer students
can find parking a nightmare,
classes overwhelming and dead
lines etched in stone.
Charity Duncan transferred to
the University from St. Mary’s
College in California's East Bay
area. She wanted to attend a larger
school with a more collegiate at
mosphere.
Duncan is one of many transfer
students who came to the Univer
sity from private universities,
community colleges and other
higher education institutions.
As a general science major,
Duncan didn’t experience too
many difficulties as a transfer stu
dent. Most of her credits trans
ferred easily because she came
from a private university, she said.
Duncan was lucky enough to
have a support system in place, in
cluding an older sister who was al
ready at the University and a
sorority to help her adjust to her
new surroundings.
Not every transfer student is as
lucky.
After an informal investigation,
Nelson decided to help coordinate
this drop-in open house before the
winter term to help transfer stu
dents get the help they need and
become acquainted with the dif
ferent programs.
"A lot of students have ques
tions and don't know where to go
for answers," Nelson said.
Special transfer students, such
as those with families, sometimes
struggle with juggling several pri
orities, including family, work
and school.
“Scholarships for transfer stu
dents are the most under-utilized
in the school," Nelson said.
“There is so much to keep track of
and so much going on, they may
not be aware of these opportuni
ties.”
Most transfer students go
through an orientation, meet with
theiradviserand talk about gener
al education requirements, Nelson
said.
"But it’s not as salient because
it's before they’ve actually start
ed," Nelson said. “Duringorienta
tion, anyone can meet their infor
mation overload."
For more information about the
open house of transfer student re
sources, call Nelson at .140-3211 or
e-mail her at: jbnelson@oregon.
uoregon.edu.
Student cooperatives provide a low-cost, communal lifestyle
'Ibe student-run bouses
offer more control to
residents but also require
responsibility
By Darren Freeman
lor the Emerald
Student co-operatives, an alter
native student-housing option, of
fer the benefits and drawbacks of
both on- and off-campus life. But
residents say many students still
have reservations about living in
the co-ops.
“The co-op is a nice compro
mise,” said senior Kristi Solseng, a
past resident of the Lorax Manner
co-op. “You have control over
your life like you do in an apart
ment, and you also get to meet
people."
Two former greek houses have
been converted into student co
ops. The Lorax Manner, at 16th
and Alder, and the Campbell
Club, at 17th and Alder, are less
than a block west of campus.
Founded in 1990, the Lorax
Manner is named after a Dr. Seuss
character, the Lorax, who “speaks
for the trees." Residents say the
use of “Manner” in place of
“Manor” was intentional because
they wanted to run it in a “man
ner” that would minimize wasted
r
resources through reusing and re
cycling. The Lorax Manner houses
up to 26 members and serves only
vegan and vegetarian meals. Pets
are not allowed.
Like the Lorax, the Campbell
Club makes an effort to reuse and
recycle. But the house, which
holds up to 35 members, offers
meat as well as vegan meals. Most
pets, with the exception of dogs,
are allowed in the Campbell Club.
Both co-ops are owned and op
erated by the Student Co-operative
Association, which is composed of
co-op tenants. The SCA owns the
buildings and operates indepen
dently of the University. SCA
members provide their own social
organization, cook for themselves
and clean and maintain the co-ops.
Co-op residents say this system
has advantages and disadvantages.
The most obvious advantage is
economic. Co-ops are one of the
cheapest housing options for stu
dents. Residence in either co-op
costs $833 per term for a double
room and $1,110 for a single. This
cost covers food, utilities, telephone
service and cleaning supplies.
Another advantage is the con
trol that residents have over their
living situation. Unlike dormito
ries, where rules and punishments
are prescribed, co-op policies are
made by resident consensus at
house meetings.
Most residents say the greatest
advantage to living in the co-ops is
the open-minded, close-knit com
munity. Residents eat meals to
gether, socialize in the lounges
and even hold weekly talent
shows.
“You get to meet a lot of inter
esting people,” Solsengsaid. “Un
like in dorms, where everyone is
in their own rooms and they come
out occasionally, you're almost
forced to interact with anyone in
the house.”
But the close-knit community
can be a distraction from studies.
Residents say there is the constant
temptation to socialize.
“If you’re the type of person
who is distracted easily, [studying
in theco-ops) could be hard,” said
senior Jessica Roach, who has
lived in the Campbell Club for
three years.
Another common complaint is
that some members neglect
chores. Residents are required by
the SCA to work 10 hours per
week preparing meals, cleaning
house or manning organizational
posts such as treasurer or social
coordinator.
This requirement is not al
ways met.
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Residents of the Lorax Manner co-op sit down to i candlelight dinner.
“You can’t expect things to be
clean all of the time,” said Matt
Thome, a past resident of the Lorax
Manner who recently graduated.
During midterms and finals,
residents admit, housework be
comes a low priority. "We’re stu
dents over all else,” said senior
Ben Cutler, who lives in the Lorax.
All co-op residents are required
to take at least three credits at the
University or at Lane Community
College. Only one credit is re
quired for summer residents. Ten
ants who drop out of school are
asked to move out.
When that happens, the co-ops
have difficulty tilling the vacancy,
Solseng said, because students
rarely change their living situa
tions during the school year.
Cutler said the SCA also grap
ples with the widespread opinion
that the co-ops are hippie party
houses.
“I think the image that people in
the general campus community
have of the co-ops isn’t reflective
of what’s going on here at all,” Cut
ler said.
“I’ve learned more here in the
co-op than I have in school about
living, about myself, about being,
about people."
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