By Courtney Klaus and Hope Eckley, Editor-In-Chief and Staff writer
Two lucky Newman commuter students received a free six week stay in the residence halls this semester.
Freshman John Suffield and sophomore Marie Moore were chosen to live on campus for free after competing in a contest where they wrote a short essay and made a video about why living on campus would be beneficial to them.
Director of Residence Life Scott Mudloff said Newman University promoted this contest through social media at the end of last semester.
“We wanted to give people who were normally commuters the chance to live on campus,” Mudloff said. “We had the space so we thought, ‘Why not?’”
Suffield moved into Carrocci Hall last weekend and said he is looking forward to spending more time on campus.
“Living in the dorms would make my school life easier as well as help me to create friendships,” Suffield said.
The university did the contest because they wanted the students to receive the full college experience, Suffield said.
Moore moved into Beata Hall, which is where she said a lot of her friends were also staying.
“I’ve thought about living on campus for a while, but money’s been the main thing that kept me from it...I think it’s worth it now that I’m living here,” she said.
Moore said one of her favorite parts about living on campus is the convenience of not having to drive.
“I added up all the time I spent driving since I was a freshman, and it’s been 150 hours that I’ve spent, just, like, commuting,” Moore said. “So I realized that I’d have so much more time to do things if I lived on campus.”
Moore said since living on campus she has started working two jobs on campus and started rehearsing for the upcoming play, “Dante’s Inferno.”
“I don’t think I would have been able to take on those roles and be even more involved without living on campus,” she said.
But the free six-week stay had one string attached - both students are being asked to document their experience living on campus with short videos.
“We have to do two vlogs a week which are going to be used as advertisements for the dorms,” Suffield said.
Mudloff said he hopes the vlogs Suffield and Moore make can be used on social media to better give students an idea of what living on campus is like.
PHOTO: Courtney Klaus, Editor-In-Chief
