DE Campus Life Editor 24

Davina Miller moved to a healthy lifestyles floor at Schneider Hall in Brush Towers to breathe free and be able to hear herself think. And Lindsey Kundiffs moved to an engineering floor to get acquainted with the people in her major.

Miller, a freshman in journalism from Metropolis, said that when she lived in Mae Smith Hall, she was tempted to go back to old habits.

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Originally I was in Mae Smith, and I had a roommate who was a chain smoker and got drunk all the time, Miller said. I don’t drink, and I don’t smoke, so I thought it would be great to be around other people who don’t drink or smoke.

The new healthy lifestyle floors were designed for students wanting a completely substance-free area. The program started in January. About 150 students are housed in healthy lifestyle areas.

SIUC Chancellor Don Beggs said the same-major floors are a good opportunity to get students with like interests in the same living environment.

It gives an opportunity for students to interact with people in his or her major, he said. It encourages students to study and to learn together. And from all indications, it appears to be a way to have a supportive learning environment.

Kundiffs, a freshman in engineering from Chicago, said she requested to live on the ninth floor of Schneider Hall so she would get to know the people in her department.

I think it’s good to know people in your major, she said. If you know people, there is always someone there to help you if you need it.

Although Miller has only been living on the new floor for a few days, she said her lifestyle already is healthier.

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I used to smoke a lot, but I gave it up, she said. They (people on the floor) help by encouraging me to stay away from cigarettes or I won’t have a place to live.

Mike Shanks, the coordinator of Residence Life for University Park, said he wanted to give students a different housing opportunity, as well as make the school’s housing options more marketable.

Shanks said that so far, the healthy lifestyle floors and buildings have the fewest discipline problems on campus.

Shanks said the research done across the country and at SIUC has shown that there is less vandalism and less damage to the buildings.

To live in a healthy lifestyle building or floor, a student must sign a contract to not use alcohol, tobacco or drugs.

The students agree not only to not have alcohol on the floor, but not to get drunk somewhere else and come back, said Steve Kirk, the assistant director of Residence Life.

Miller said almost everyone who visits the floor enjoys the atmosphere.

The first thing all my friends say is, Oh, it smells so good up here,’ she said. One of my friends from Mae Smith is trying to move up here now.

Miller said living on the healthy lifestyle floor makes her realize that she does not have to go out and drink to have a good time.

I appreciate when a person can hold up their end of the conversation without being high or drunk, she said. I thought it would be a lot of overly health-conscious people, but they aren’t like that.

Airenicque Richardson, an undecided sophomore from Bellwood, said that because she is pregnant, living on the healthy lifestyle floor in Schneider Hall was the perfect option.

I had a lot of complaints about noise and smoking, and you can’t do that up here, she said. If I’m stressed, it takes a toll on me and my baby. Living up here, I can better my lifestyle, and it’s just healthier.

Xavier Brach, a freshman in political science from Homewood, said that before he came to SIUC, he was sent a letter giving him the option of the healthy lifestyle building or floor.

Brach decided to live on the healthy lifestyle floor in Schneider Hall. He said living around smokers in the past made him want to avoid it.

I wanted my environment to be clean and smoke-free, he said. There are more mature people and there are not as many complaints about noise.

Healthy lifestyle students are not the only ones who have floors specifically suited to their needs. Another addition to residence housing are floors suited to specific majors.

Patrick Bogen, a junior in aviation flight management from Danville and a student resident assistant for the architectural floor in Mae Smith, said there is a great community on the floor because the students have the same projects and help each other.

Bogen said the major floor promotes competition among the students.

Everyone has the same classes, so you know what everyone is doing, he said. It makes you want to do better, so I guess it’s a form of motivation.

Shanks said there are plans to expand the healthy lifestyle and major floors to accommodate more students.

We will open another floor next year in Brush Towers and maybe the year after that if it continues, he said. Eventually, we want to house as many people on healthy lifestyle floors as we can.

Residence halls in Brush Towers, Thompson Point and University Park have healthy lifestyle floors and floors for designated majors. Wright II is a completely healthy-lifestyle building.