Our guest blogger for this post is Scott Wojciechowski, Director of First Year Residential Education. 
For some of you, August might be the first time that you’re sharing a living space with someone you don’t really know (beyond Facebook profiles or Instagram posts). Learning to live with individuals who are different from you and building a community are key college experiences that allow you to learn about yourself and others. Moore highlights this crucial time as a student “when people basically hurl opportunities at us – opportunities to learn, to meet new people, to be exposed to things we’ve never seen before.” (13). There are tons of resources to assist you in your transition, but your ownership and participation will greatly enrich your experience.
While the finest amenities in the residence halls add comfort to your lifestyle, there may be times that you experience discomfort – a disagreement with a roommate or a heated discussion that carries over from your First Year Seminar – and that’s okay. Wait… Scott, are you sure? Moore shares that moments “out of his comfort zone” are where he found “a breakthrough” (103), and that he reached that growth through reflection and dialogue. You will be encouraged to explore moments of discomfort, ask yourself “why?”, and share your perspective. A community is defined by its members, and you all have a voice in your experience as you contribute to that group dialogue.
Each community has a resident assistant (RA), who is a Residence Life student staff member, there to guide the community building process. Shortly after moving in, each resident will complete a workbook that identifies individual needs and expectations for their HPU residential experience. Roommates will then meet together to discuss their expectations for each other and their shared living space. Similarly, each residential community will meet, by floor, during the first week to create a community agreement – a living document that guides how members of the community will interact with each other, learn from shared experiences, and confront issues before they balloon into larger problems. These community-defined frameworks include clear statements of the values for the community and also provide a pathway to address issues as they arise since “it is far too easy to stereotype and caricature those you’re in conflict with, which only makes you cynical, hateful, or overconfident – or all three” (63). The responsibility to uphold these expectations is not solely on the RA, but rests with the members of the community.
This adjustment period may be challenging, but I believe that you are all ready for the work. Just remember: the moments of discomfort are where growth is maximized.
What does community mean to you? What does community look like? Feel like? When have you worked through discomfort to reach a breakthrough?