tlb -£Lb - I C DEAR COED FRESHEMN WOMEN HANDBOOK Published by Association of Women Students Bloomsburg State College Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania 1973 - 1974 I • • • •I I I •I I STAFF Editor-in-Chief Patsy Williams Typing Editor Tana O'Neal Faculty Advisor Ms. Koncsol ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ I I I WELCOME TO BSC! ! ! Here you are a freshman at college -- at last. You're a little apprehensive, a little afraid, and definitely excited. Orientation will help to rid you of many of your fears, because after it you won't be so completely lost in September when you return. College is very differnt from the life you've been accustomed to; it's a definite change. Everyone hopes that it will be for the better, but as the old saying goes, college is what you make it. Put a little effort into everything you do and you're sure to come out ahead. This is the time for growing up, a time for being on your own and a time to prove to yourself and your parents -5- that you are capable of making you own deci sions and living your own life. Some times it will be difficul t, but always r emembe r there are about 500 othe r fre shme n women who are as nervou s and scare d as you. De ar Coed is another aid in the attempt to help freshmen women adjust to campus life . Read this for some helpful hints from women who were freshmen just like you. Remember BSC is known as the "friendly little college on the hill" so smile and enjoy it! LIFE IN THE RESIDENCE HALLS OR "HOME SWEET HOME" Come August, Columbia, Montour, Schuylkill or perhaps Northumberland will be your new home. Possibly you will prefer Luzerne or Elwell Halls which offers you a coeducational living situation. Regardless, living in a residence hall is a completely unique experience - one which you'll never go through again. Your room is your room! No one is going to tell you where to put your furniture, when to clean and dust, and when to put away your clothes. So if you don't mind making tunnels in the dust and climbing over piles of dirty clothes (and your roommate is agreeable) ••• ! The only time you'll be asked to tidy up is prior to vacations when you'll be asked to unplug all of your appliances, empty your trashcans, and close your drapes - all this is for fire safety. -6- •I •I • • • I It takes little time to get used to sharing a lounge and bathroom with 15-30 girls and a laundry room with some 225-400 others. Cooperation is the key and it's not very hard. It often leads to a lot of fun. Another distinct experience is visitation. It's up to each residence hall to select it's visitation hours. The maximum limits are: Sun-Thurs l:00pm-ll:30pm Fri & Sat 1:00 pm-l:30am These are subject to change each year, and you will be notified of any new policies. Hall Council will decide whether or not sign in and sign out is mandatory when you have a male visitor in your room, and you must escort him through the halls at all times. It's always nice to check with your roommate too, before you bring a guy in. Remember, it is their room too! Each dorm is run by a dorm council. Each wing in the hall selects one girl from their wing to represent them at meetings. It is your responsibility to carry your gripes and grievances to her before council. All in all, life is a residence hall is a lot of fun. There are lots of nice girls to meet and millions of things to do. Your room is yours, your hall is yours -- and as always, it is up to you to make it what you want. - 7- TELEPHONES A recent addition to the BSC campus is the Centrex Telephone System, in which each room in the residence halls is equipped with a telephone. Yes, it's tru! A phone system has been installed on campus and after a year of operation has gained great apraisal. The college has its own community area code with the Bell Telephone Company and each room has a phone of its own. All you do is pick up the phone and dial to a friend on campus, off campus, or even back home. It surely makes tele phone calls much easier and quicker than running down the hall, waiting for the phone to be free, and then slipping some "easy" money in and getting the operator. Instead, the little black phone on your wall operates just like the one back at home. Of course, with this advantage of having your own phone, comes the responsibility of paying the bills. Those long distance calls will still cost you something, needless to say they will cost you a lot less since it is direct dialing. You will receive a bill from the phone company each month. I guess there has to be a catch to anything that is good, still you'll be getting a lot more for your money this way. -8- II II •II II • I • ROOMMATES One of th e most challenging aspects of college life is developing a good relationship with your roommate, Roommates come in all different shapes , sizes, temperaments , and personalities. Learning to adjust to each other ' s habits and differences is the basis of a good relationship. To some girls this comes easily, others find it very difficult, especially if they've neve r had to share a room with anyone before. With patienc e. and cooperation, howeve r, everything should work out alright. Remembering to be considerate in little things can be a big help. Don ' t make a lot of noise if you r roommate is sleeping. If sh£ has a big ttst the next day and is studying in the room, don 1 t turn the stereo on or invite a lot of fri ends i n. Common s ense is the key ! Your roommate and you can have a lot of fun together. Writt to each other during tht summer, when the - 9- admissions offices nds you her address and find out a little about each other's backgrounds. Also, this is a good time to discuss color combinations for your room and to decide if you want to buy your bedspreads, rugs, etc. s e parately during the summer or wait and get them downtown at the beginning of the year. If you both agree, it can be a lot of fun to wait and go shopping for these things together. You will feel that your _room belongs to the two of you, not each owning half of it. Something else to discuss in your letters is who is bringing what. It is a good idea to bring one of the larger items and share them. For example, two stereos are just not practical. Your space will be rather limited so decide what you each are bringing before you come. Due to overcrowded conditions in the dorms, some freshmen may be tripled. With three in a room even more cooperation and consideration is needed.The room may seem very small and crowded at times. You will be sharing two closets among the three of you. You will have to decide who sleeps in the bunk and on the single bed, and who gets the extra desk that is moved into the room to accommodate your tripled room. Sharing · is even more important in this situation . Carefully plan what you want to bring so that you will have enough room for it and try to bring your wardrobe on a seasonal basis. Being tripled can have advantages too. The tree of you might become very close and often it is easier to adjust when you have two other people to help you. You will probably find -10- •Ill s ome t hings you have in c ommon wi t h e ach of your r oomma te s, a nd meet ing thei r fri e nds c an me an eve n more fri e nds for you, Whe the r you have one roommate or two, just r emember your relationship is what you decide to make it! RA's •I II • •I You will meet many people at BSC, but probably one of the most important will be your Resident Advisor (RA). Every wing of all the women's residence halls has an RA. The RA is a student also and has been through all the problems that a freshman will encounter. She will be very helpful to you during your first days of adjustment, Your RA will meet you when you .arrive and give you some instructions you may need. If you have any questions or need help, go to your RA; she's there to help you in any way she can. Your RA is close to your own age and you will find that she is easy to talk to and sympathetic listener. Your RA is a friend, advisor and confidante. Go to her if you have any questions or troubles; she is there to help. - 11- II ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN STUDENTS Among the other opportunities awaiting the Bloomsburg Coed, is the chance to belong to the Association of Women Students (AWS) on campus. Every woman enrolled at BSC, both residents and .commuters, are automatically included in this organization. The purpose of AWS is to represe.nt the women's viewpoint on issues concerning college life and acting as a grapevine through which coeds can learn what's going on in the college community . Individual residence halls are represented by a President, Vice- President, Sectretary-Treasurer, and Social Chairman who attend the AWS meetings and convey the information received to Hall Council meetings in their respective residence halls. At these Hall Council meetings, each floor has a corridor representative whose job is to turn it over to the residents at the corridor meeting. As freshmen women, you will have the opportunity to run for offices to be held in your residence hall. The officers of the Executive Board for the coming 1973-1974 year are: President~,·•·••·•··Patsy Williams Vice-President •••••• Mary Sullivan Secretary •••......•• Katherine Nelson Treasurer ••....•.••• Patti Bosich -12- • • • • • • • The Association of Women Students, in an effort of get women students involved, recently incorporated Women's Week into their program, This week devoted entirely to women offers the females, guest speakers, workshops, panel groups, and much literature pertinant to the Women's Movement, Another vital program which is presented is the Sexuality Program. This is offered to the community on a monthly basis. Topics such as Abortion, Venereal Disease, Cild Birth, and subjects of the like are discussed with the students by guest speakers or possibly with the resources from campus. AWS is dedicated to promote active participation among the women in their organization. II • • • •II -13- COLLEGE SERVICES For the coed who needs a little assistance in the category of first aid or in a personal problem or maybe just a few pencils, there are various places on campus designed just for such a damsel in distress. Do you need a safe place to keep your book money? Need a check cashed in a hurry? The place for you is the Student Bank, located in the Waller Hall end of the tunnel to the Student Union Building. The hours are : mon- fri 1O:3Oam-4:3Opm While on the subject of money, check o"fft the . Financial Aid Office in Ben Franklin. Here you can get any information you need concerning scholarships, loans, and jobs. If you are interested in working in the Commons or the Library, they will tell you what you must do about that too -- any time between 8:30am and 5:00 pm, Monday thru Friday, Any problems concerning grades, classes, schedules, oreven personal hassles can be taken care of in the Counseling Center. It is located in Waller Hall, and it is open 8:30 to 12:00 noon and 1:30pm to 5:00 pm and also deals with the results of various tests that you will take during orientation. Directly across the hall you may see written on the door "Come in and talk." This is the campus ministry, where you can go in and talk about anything that happens to be troubling your mind or your heart. There is usually someone there every week day from 11:00am until 3:00 pm. -14- ■ ■ ■ ■ I I I I I I I • The y are all really great guys who understand, so don't be shy about going to see them. They can really help sometimes, Indigestion from eating too much? Sprain an ankle on the sidewalks of Bloomsburg? You might get some help at the Infirmary in the Student Union Building . If it happens to be closed just when you choose to burn your hand, go to see one of the Assistant Deans (this is what the locked door will say, so you can save yourself the trip,) Located toward the upper portion of the campus with the classroom buildings is the library, named for Harvey A, Andruss. Skille d librarians are there to answer any questions you may have as long as it is open. Another place you can get books is, logically , the college bookstore, but its contents are not limited to books alone. Here you can buy stationery, sweatshirts, greeting cards, posters, pantyhose, candy, records, health aids, and just about any kind of typical sohool supply you need. Bookstore hours are 8:30am - 5:00pm Monday thru Firday and 8:30 am to noon on Satur da y. So, if you are ever in ,teed of any of these services, these are the places to go. Willing, if not able, to serve you! -15- D CJ M.,,\}' i\Ha.aS IJj ,t. /Q.r~ -""""""l"~--\ Morit0u ~· L· ~Schujf kill :-'-~- 'br A. Nf..W T£ rin is Courts r~ \.)n·,on \ J;tYl Ca.rve:.r , 'r 1 Po.r- k,ng ) bQ.r-a._ge I r.: ~ C.dmmol'\S \ / \ ~ J ~ Y\ K I ~~~11:-J ; [NooK j _ . . . .__ n D ~v-1-lil')L 5utli{'f co,"Tu,n,4.1 ~ q1~ u D -Y BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS! Book buying will be a completely new experience. After you get your schedule, at registration, you can check the book list outside of the bookstore in Waller . To avoid buying the wrong book, the thing to do is wait until the prof tells you what texts you will nee d, sometimes the book list has the wrong books listed. All books may be purchased new at the bookstore. Don ' t worry if they run out, they can reorder and they fr e quently do run out of books in great demand used for the first time at BSC . Many students prefer to buy texts in their major new. If you would like to save money, you can rent or purchase books second-hand from upperclassmen. Before purchasing a second-hand book though , make sure it's the right edition! Lists of second-hand books can be found on any of the bulletin boards in the dorms or on the bulletin boards in Waller Hall. Many upperclassmen also post a list of books to rent or sell outside their door. Second-hand texts can also be obtained at the book exchange, which is run by one of the campus organizations, then the student receives whatever profit is made. If you have any trouble, your big sister, RA, or any upperclassman will be glad to be of assistance, You will be give.n plenty of time to get your books. Although book buying is new and frightening -- don't panic, it can be fun. -18- I I I SCRANTON COMMONS The William Scranton Commons is a place to go and eat with your friends, and sometimes meet and make new ones. The Commons, as it is popularly known, is airconditioned, it contains four dining halls and two lounges for your comfort and convenience, The Commons serves three meals a day during the week, but on weekends only brunch and supper are served. The food is prepared by the Slater Food Service. Many banquets and teas are held in the Commons by various campus organizations. Special meals are also served before holidays and during finals week, a coffee and doughnut break is held at a later hour. The Commons' dress code is casual wear but no one is permitted in without shoes or shirts. Meals are served long enough to give each student time to eat when his schedule allows. The Scranton Commons provides a healthy and relaxing atmosphere, and is a center of student activity on campus. -19- SHHH! I'm studying! College life has two sides to offer, the social and the academic life. Studying becomes a nece ssity in the rol e of academics . Each day th e re are hours which are designate d as "quiet hours." During this time, all noise should be kept at a minimum in the halls, the BR's, lounges , and the rooms. The hours are: 7:00pm - 7:00am daily These hours are simply guidelines and the individual halls and wings can de cide whether to extend them or not . This "quiet time" require s only the cooperation and common courtesy of the girls on the wing and with these two things kept in mind, study time should be a valuable time for all . If someone is disturbing you, don't hesitate to politely tell them to keep it down. But don't be insulted if someday you are asked to do the same sometimes you get louder than you realize. Finals week well bring extended quiet hours. Beginning the week-end before exams, quiet hours will last 23 hours a day. From 10pm to 11pm is your noisy time! You and your hall mates will probably really let loose at 10, but at 11 - it's back to the books or to bed! Quiet hours are really important, so please be considerate. Remember, the grade you save just may be your own! -20- Ii II II Ii I II I II • • II II All kinds of questions will probably be running through your mind just before you come to college and for the first couple of weeks after you arrive. Don't panic! There is one person who has selected you to help with the twists and turns of adjustment to college life. Th is person is your big sister. During the sunnner your big sister will write to you, asking you to write back with any questions you have. Also she will want you to write a little yourself. This is a good way to start to get to know each other. Answer her letter. She can only help you if you are willing to let her. At the beginning of the year she will probably stop by to see you. This is a good time to ask her questions about the courses you have elected for the semester, the curriculum you have chosen, or anything that is bothering you. -21- Early in the year a big and little sist e r program is held . Your big sis te r will ask you to go with her. This a great opportunity to meet other girls -your own age as well as older, Unfortunately not enough girls always sign up to be big sisters, This could result in some girls not having one. If this should happen to you talk to your Resident Advisor about it. She may know someone who would be glad to be your big sister, or you may find a friend whose big sister would not mind being your too. Having an upperclassman to talk to and confide in can be a fantastic experience, She has already gone through much that you will experience, and can give you some pointers that will make your life at college even more pleasant. Take advantage of the opportunity to build a good relationship! -22- • WHAT TO WEAR! One of the questions that may enter your mind now is "What do I wear?" The answer is simple. Clean, neat, appropriate clothing -- it ' s acceptable at all times. For classes and dining, casual, everyday clothes are the rule. For social events the student body splits down the middle; half dress up and the other half wear the same casual clothes that they wear to class, either way is acceptable, In short, the way you dress for each occasion is entirely to your taste. However, there are one or two general rules. Gym shorts are not allowed in the dining halls. You may wear your gym blouse with jeans, but -23- not: the shortso Sine closet space is limited, it is better to bring along a seasonal wardrobEo I would lik to mention, though, that a raincoat and umbrella are essentials and sh ould not be forgotten when planning your wardrobe, For churc~, it is up to the indivi~ual pastor to e stablish dres policy for his church. In any case, extremely· dressy clothes are not a necessity, although you might like to have some here in case. ··shoes must be worn in all public places, ACTIVITIES AT BSC It won't take long for you, as a freshman, to find that education takes place not only in the classroom, but in all areas of student involvement as well. You will be able to put your leisure time to good use through the many s ocial and cultural events and other extra-curricular activities offered at BSC, which cover a wide range of interests. Sports anyone? For you we have the Women's Athletic Association (the "Bl! Club) and the Women ' s Recreation Association, which have developed an extensive extramural and intramural programo Extramural sports include hockey and basketball, while intramural ac ti viti es such as powder puff football, voll yball, basketball, and softball fill the rest of the year. A Water Ballet is presented in the early spring. Also, the indoor -24- II II II II II II I II - pool and gym are there to be used at your convenience. For those of you who are interested in politics, we have the Community Government Association, the AssociaQm of Women Stude'nts, and the offices of various organizaiions~ A few of those organizations that you will have the opportunity to join are the Bloomsburg Players, the Literary and Film Society, the Sociology Club, the Biology Club, and the French Club. If you're musically inclined, we have the Studio Band, the Women's Chorale Ensemble, the Maroon and Gold Band, and the Concert Choir. There is also an opportunity for involvement in any one of BSC's publications. The Maroon and Gold is our bi weekly newspaper, the Obiter, is the college yearbook, and the student literary magazine is the Olympian. The Pilot is published annually by and for the student body and contains answers to questions that confront college students. The Today sheet is published daily and keeps students informed of campus and community activities on a day-by-day basis. Coffee, tea of coke anyone? If the anwser is yes, the snack bar, located in the new Student Union is the best place to find it. The new Union offers the student a modern, air-conditioned atmosphere in which he can relax, grab a quick bite to eat, play cards, or just sit down and talk. It's a great place to relax or meet people ••. There are usually events sponsored by each class and a weekly movie and/or dance for Friday and Saturday night activities. Each coed should plan to take an active part in the social life at BSC, Along with all the clubs, there are the men's athletic ev~~ to support. As you 5: may know, Bloomsburg takes great pride in the wrestling squads they pres ent. Bes ides this, there are weekly football , basketball, and swimming events. In the spring there are tennis matches, track meets, golf matches and base ball games. Our BSC guys need your support and encouragement. The wide variety of activities are there for YOU to become involved in and enjoy. Be as active as you can in your Freshman year, so that you can really become involved at BSC. You'll only ge t out of your college life what you put into it, and it can be rewarding i f you' 11 try. SORORITIES In the last five years at BSC, there has been a new innovation in the introduction of sororities. The social sororities and the one service sorority were founded to promote friendship and understanding among not only the sisters, but the independent women as well. You, as a freshman, cannot pledge to a sorority during your first semester; but during your second semester all sororities will accept freshmen, with a 2.2 rating to rush. The social sororities at Bloomsburg are Chi Sigma Rho, Delta Epsilon Beta, Tau Sigma Pi, Sigma Sigma Sigma, and Theta Tau Omega. Our service sorority is Lambda Alpha Mu. Each sorority has its own standards and ideals. Most of the sororities work with the cooperation fraternity to organize several social events each year. The sisters of Lambda Alpha Mu, Bloomsburg's service sorority, are dedicated to assembling college women -26- I I I I ~ "• • • in t he spirit of s e rvice to humanity. The Inte r - Sorority Council is the gove rning body for t he Greek Wome n . It was organize d in October, 1967, and consists of three members form e ach of the social sororities. The objectives of the ISC are to coordinate the activities of the member sororities, promote scholarship among sorority women, and encourage friendship among both Greek and independent women. -27- ANNUAL SOCIAL EVENTS Big and Little Sis ter Team This is an informal gathering that will help you to get to know the Deans, Resident Advisors, and other prominent people on campus. It will be held in early September, and each Freshman is escorted by her Big Sister. Homecoming - This is a special weekend in October which features Big Name Entertainment on Friday night, a parade and football game on Saturday, and an informal dance that evening. There is usually an "Open House" for all students, dates, and parents on Saturday or Sunday. Greek Week - This is a special week sponsored by the Inter- Sorority and Inter-Fraternity Councils, in which all the members of the campus fraternities and sororities compete in games and races, done in honor of ancient Olympic games. Although only the "Greeks" may participate in these games, all are invited to attend. Winter Weekend - Winter sports, such as skiing, and ski-dooing are part -28- I • of the activities planned for this weekend. Big Name Entertainment is also featured that weekend. Sping Weekend - Big Name Entertainment is the featured event of this weeke nd. Our social fraternities and sororities also sponsor sunfilled activities at this time. JARGON As you become familiar with life at Bloomsburg, you will find that the academic world of BSC has its own vernacular. These words and phrases will easily become part of your vocabulary as you become an integral part of the college and student life. We have prepared the following list of jargon most freguently used to give you a head start. Academic Probation - Probation because of an average lower than 2.0 (based on a 4.0 system). Ace a test - to get an "A". Berrigan's - Hoagie shop downtown. Bluebooks - Test booklets which are often requested by profs to use for taking exams. They can be purchased at the bookstore. Bookstore - The college store where you can buy textbooks and other school supplies. It ' s located in Waller Hall. Charli e 's - Pizza shop downtown . - 29- f Connnons - Dining hall. Corridor Meeting - Floor meetings in the women's residence halls. Cut - Absence from class. Digest - Sunnnary of residence hall rules. Finals week - Last week of the semester when classes are cancel l e d and finals are given . The (Kampus) Nook - The restaurant located opposite the Student Union . Long Porch - A large porch on Waller Hall which faces Elwell residence hall. M & G - Maroon and Gold; the college newspaper. Obiter - the college yearbook. Olympian - Student literary magazine. Pilot - College handbook. R.A. - Resident Advisor, Rake - To get and "E" or failure. Pappas - Pizza shop downtown . Roomed - confined to your room for infraction of the rules. Tunnel - the underground passageway from Waller to the Student Union. Union - New building located between Waller Hall and Montour Hall; facilities include a snack bar, billiard area, ping pong tables, games and card playing area, information desk with papers and magazines, TV lounge, Student Board Office, and Office of Director of Student Activities. -30- CHECK LIST Here we have included a list of suggested items that have been helpful to others in the past. It is a good idea to wait until your roommate ar~ rives to buy bedspreads, rugs, curtains, etc., so that you will agree on cost and color of the items. All underlined items are required and all starred items are highly recommended. Many supplies can be bought at the college store . Address book Alarm clock Ashtray Bedroom slippers or shower shoes Blankets Bucket (plastic) Camera Can opener Desk lamp (or pole lamp - 8') Dictionary (Webster's New Collegiate) Dish detergent Drying rack Drinking glass (or paper cups) Dust cloths Eating utensils First Aid Kit,'<' Hair dryer Hangers Iron'>'< Iron rest (asbestos or metal) Laundry bag* Laundry detergent Masking tape and plastic tac,'< Mattress pad (32" x 72") Note pad for door Paper clips, scotch tape, rubber bands, ruler, etc, Pen and pencil container Phonograph and records -31- Pillow Cover (plastic or cloth 21" x 27") Playing cards Pot to heat water or cook food (with lid) Posters Rainwear and umbrella* Scissors Sewing Kit Shower cap* Spray starch Stapler & staples Stationary and stamps Standing hand Mirror Swim wear (bathing cap) Typewriter Towels and wash cloths Wastebasket (metal) I -32- ill • GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Record the number of your typewriter, camera, and radio for reference in case of loss • 2. Check all electrical cords they must be in good condition. 3. Mark all personal articles with name tapes or with your name written in indelible ink. This includes such articles as umbrellas, towels, books, etc. 4. Heavy baggage may be sent by express, plainly labeled, with your name, residence hall, room number, Bloomsburg State College, Bloomsburg, PA 17815. Allow a week for delivery. Since there is limited storage in the residence halls, all trunks and large luggage will have to be returned to your home. Plan to deposit large sums of money at the College Bank. Never keep large sums of money in your room or on your person. 6. Bring enough money (about $60) to take care of books, supplies, etc. 7. Always carry I.D. card and meal ticket in your wallet. Be sure to put your name on all cards of importance. Get to know your roommate, Big Sister, and Resident Advisor through letters this surrnner and help them get to know you. -33-