Daily Skiff

One student cannot wait for the knock on his dorm room in Brachman Hall today.

That is because at about 7 p.m., Student Development Services and the Student Government Association will make "house calls" to freshman dorm rooms.

Brent Folan, freshman business major, said he planned to suggest that a bowling alley be built where former campus restaurant Pond Street Grill used to stand in Worth Hills.

"House calls are a great opportunity for each freshman to be heard and get the change they wish to see on the campus," Folan said.

As part of the House Calls program, a student and a faculty or staff member will knock on freshman dorm rooms and ask for suggestions on improving the campus or points of concern. House Calls has been a fall tradition for SDS since 2003, and the organization asked SGA to help in 2008, said Robin Williamson, associate director of Transitions.

Kelsie Johnson, student body president, said that this year, freshman students who participate in House Calls will be eligible to win a free Nintendo Wii. The winner will receive notification Friday.

"We want to promote the 'spread the love' campaign," Johnson said, referring to Chancellor Victor Boschini's Fall Convocation speech. "We will go into every dorm and knock on every door possible. If a student has a problem and we can point them in the right direction to solve it, then we are doing our job."

During Fall Convocation, the chancellor told students, faculty and staff that he was going back to the '60s.

"In general I'm going to spread the love, (but) especially I'm going to spread it over those 1,824 new students we have, because these students are the lifeblood of Texas Christian University, and they're going to make this an even better place than it is now," he said.

Matt Williams, senior computer information technology major, participated in House Calls last year and said the program provides an effective communication link between upperclassman and freshmen.

Williams said volunteers for House Calls come right to freshmen, which would eliminate the stress of trying to find the right person to answer questions.

Unable to participate in House Calls her freshman year, Jackie Wheeler, sophomore class representative for SGA and marketing and entrepreneurial management major, said this year she wants to provide insight to freshmen on adjusting to the college lifestyle.

Wheeler said she hopes to provide a smoother transition into college life by answering questions and presenting a willingness to help those students in need.

When members of House Calls visit the dorm rooms in Colby Hall, Lexxi Spraberry, freshman biology major, said the program would provide a great way for the voices of the women in her dorm room to be heard. Spraberry said House Calls will provide an opportunity that may otherwise not be available for freshman students to give ideas.

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