Residence Life: Edgewood Commons

Residence Life: Edgewood Commons

By: Kayce Curry and Randi Watson

Independence is an expectation of every college student. Moving on campus is usually the first taste of freedom that some students get, it is one of the best parts of college. Living without your parents or guardian constantly around gives young adults a sense of maturity and helps prepare them for the real world when they are truly alone.

            On Frostburg State University’s campus there are many dorms which students can live in for the duration of the school year. Apart from the dorms there is a place where students can choose to live that gives the apartment style living on a college campus.

            This place is called Edgewood Commons.

            “Living in Edgewood for two years was a good experience. Though it was still on campus it was a different feel from the traditional dorms and it looked way better too” stated Jeffrey Franklin a current graduating senior at Frostburg State University and current Edgewood resident.  

            Even though Edgewood is apartment style living it has one thing that all the other dorms on campus have, Resident Assistants.

            “RA’s are a big help to the Residents and plan great activities to keep us entertained. When I moved in they helped me feel comfortable and it really felt like I was a part of a community” explains Franklin.  

            Some people do not see the need for Resident Assistants in apartment style living since there are no RA’s in apartments off campus.

            Kyle Wolfe is the Assistant Director for Community Development at Edgewood Commons.

            When asked about RA’s in Edgewood Wolfe explained that “while different, I think that it is needed for college living.”

            “RA’s are used for community building, hosting programs, and interacting with roommates” stated Wolfe.

                        In Edgewood the Resident Assistants live in the apartment with the residents. This is an aspect that confuses some people.

            “We let people know that there are no singles available in Edgewood. There are only 2 and 4 bedroom apartments and we let them know if an RA will be staying in the apartment as well. They also get to choose their roommates so that’s the nice thing about it” explained Wolfe.

           

        Jha’Neal Stoute is a sophomore at Frostburg State University and though she has not lived in Edgewood she expresses her desire to move there next semester.

            “Edgewood has such a great environment compared to traditional dorms. Even my parents are more comfortable with me living there instead of dorms because it is cleaner than Cumberland where I lived before and has a way more appealing vibe, they even like the fact that they have RA’s because they think that it makes it safer. I originally wanted to live off campus but when we went on a tour I was blown away and was sold instantly.”

            Edgewood Commons is not your traditional on campus living it gives students a sense of freedom and independence that they would not normally get living in dorms. Even though it is more expensive than traditional dorms it may be worth the sacrifice.