Document text
SATURDAY February 28, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels January 24, 2004 'The commute is great' By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings When new Southern Oregon University mathematics instructor Nancy Imig was approached about living in an apartment in the residence halls in September, she had her apprehensions. After all, Imig, 33, had already lived in student housing when she was a freshman at the University of Nebraska - why would she want to live in them as an adult? But now, Imig is quite at home in her comfortable one-bedroom apartment in Ivy Hall. In her time in the residence halls, Imig said she's been able to understand what her students go through better. Another key factor is the low cost of housing. While she wouldn't give an exact figure, living in the residence hall complex is "extremely reasonable � and the commute is great," Imig said. At least one faculty member has lived in SOU's residence halls since 1997. Imig said students have gotten used to her in the resident complex. "I like running into my students, say hello and get smiles," she said. "It's nice to be seen outside the classroom. It shows me their lives more broadly. And they can see me as just another person walking around the halls and not as that person in front of the class who is going to grade them." While she does doesn't socialize much with the students, Imig said she has become casually friendly with them and has experienced life in the dorms. She had watched the movie "The Matrix" with students in the television room during movie night, and recently, she participated in a drum circle, which she said she always wanted to try. Imig said the students have been receptive to her, which makes her feel welcome. "I appreciate it," she said. "They've been very respectful towards me � If they want to talk with me, that's great." Ivy Hall Resident Advisor Nicole Wiegand, 20, said students have liked having Imig in the residence halls. "I think it's awesome having Nancy in the halls," she said. "She hangs out and talks to us. I tell other students who ask that it's just like having another resident in the halls. It shows that teachers and students can have similarities, and not just that we're both in an educational setting." Imig's apartment is not the small, cramped, closet-like space - shared with a roommate - that dorm life might bring to mind. It's spacious and comfortable, with a refrigerator and plenty of closet space. Being new at SOU, Imig said she was happy to find such a nice apartment at a good price in an expensive town like Ashland. "I didn't know anyone when I moved here," she said. "But being in this environment with all these neighbors is nice." Wayne Schumacher, director of housing and residential life, said having faculty live on campus is beneficial for both students and the instructors. "The purpose is two-fold," he said. "It allows the faculty to meet their housing needs and for students to have the learning experience extend beyond the classroom." Already, there are faculty tutors who go to the dorms or help with events such as judging rooms during homecoming week. In the future, Schumacher would like to see more faculty living on campus, and perhaps even have some classes taught in the residence halls. Dusty Sabo, associate professor of mathematics, lived in the dorms for 18 months in 1998 and 1999 with his wife Yuko. Sabo said it took some getting used to, but was a positive experience overall. With the money he saved from living in the dorms, he was able to put a down payment on a home in Ashland. "If I didn't live in the [residence halls], I don't think I would have been able to save enough," he said. Sabo said he enjoyed interacting with students. He even held tutoring sessions in the dorms which the students appreciated a lot, he said. In terms of noise, things have been pretty mellow, Imig said, even though she lives near the game room. "I'm an extremely sound sleeper," she said. Overall, Imig said it's been a positive experience living in the residence halls. "It makes the wedge between students and faculty closer," she said. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: The new search is here! Click here for more information. .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - ODOT Road Cams