With resident life being new to the IU Southeast campus, weekend activities have become a   topic of discussion.  Students have raised issues with faculty concerning the lack of weekend events.  

Bernardo Carducci, professor of psychology, said students are pleased with living in the resident halls, however there is no one around on the weekends.

“Developing community on campus should be the goal” Carducci said. 

“We want to offer students with more social connection in hopes they will attend more campus events,” Jen Crompton, assistant director of residence life, said.

“We are taking an approach to community building from the inside out,” Crompton said. 
“Residence life wants students to be comfortable in individual apartments, lodges and then campus as a whole.”

Several of the activities held on campus are sponsored by student organizations, though all of the student body is invited.

Madison Morris, biology junior, said most activities on campus seem detached or specified to certain groups. 

“Though most activities invite all students, the activities are hosted by certain organizations,” Morris said. 

“Most students feel alcohol must be involved to have a good time,” Erik Fisher, English writing sophomore, said.  “This discourages me from attending specific student organization activities.” 

“We know that drinking is a major problem on college campuses,” Carducci said.  “This is not because students are experimenting and have more freedom. It’s because they are bored.”

“Drinking is a way that people use to make that connection,” Carducci said.  “Drinking gives the students something to discuss and helps facilitate social connections.”
 
The university and student organizations coordinate activities on campus, however students are attending Carducci saidthis is wherethe social facilitators act as host or mediators of social connections between students unfamiliar with each other.  

“What I think we need to do a better job of is having social facilitators” Carducci said. 
These social facilitators could be any individual person on campus encouraging involvement, Carducci said.

“We do provide activities on the weekend, the students are not educating themselves on the activities,” Crompton said. 

“We try to do pot luck dinner, pizza and pajama parties and Sunday sundaes on the weekend,” Crompton said. “We enjoy having these social gatherings however get discourage on frequency due to lack of attendance.”

Carducci and Crompton said some students are intimidated by the transition of college and meeting new people. 

Students are encouraged to educate themselves on campus activities.  There are several bulletin boards throughout campus with activity postings and an online calendar.    

“If there is an activity you want on campus, inform someone, we will do it,” Crompton said. 
  
By MEAGAN SCOTT
Staff Writer
scottmn@ius.edu