Dupont/Botetourt Welcome Messages

A Message from your Area Director

Greetings from the College of William and Mary!

This message goes out to all incoming students, family and friends, welcome from the Office of Residence Life. I am the Area Director for the DuPont Botetourt Residential Area; which is comprised of DuPont, Spotswood, Fauquier, Dinwiddie, Gooch and Nicholson. As an Area Director I am responsible for the daily activities that occur in the residential area, in addition to the supervision of 29 student staff members. All Area Directors are full-time employees of the College who have a Masters degree.

The 29 student staff members include 26 Resident Assistants, 2 Head Residents and 1 Hall Director. We are all ready to aide in your transition to college and are excited about providing a multitude of programming opportunities to enhance your residential experience. One of the greatest ways to be involved in your community is to be a part of Hall Council-- the governing body for the residence halls. I encourage you to take an active role in your community by becoming an Executive Board member or a Hall Representative.

Please review this web site for detailed information on all the Residence Halls in this area, as well as information specifically geared for first-year students. I encourage you take a take a look at the podcasts to view what your building and room may look like before you come to campus. Last but certainly not least, join us on Facebook! Look for the following groups: Botetourt Complex 2011-2012 and DuPont Hall 2012-2013.

If you have further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly.

On behalf of the 2012-2013 DuPont Botetourt staff welcome to the College! We are looking forward to an outstanding year. See you in August!

Terry Fassanella
DuPont Botetourt Area Director
The College of William and Mary
(757) 221-3183

A Message from the DuPont Staff

Dear DuPont Residents of 2012-2013,

Welcome to the "Castle on the Hill"! You will be living in the largest freshman residence building with 264 residents split into eight single halls on three floors. In addition, this residence hall is the only freshman building with suite-style bathrooms, which mean that residents in two rooms share one private bathroom. DuPont is one of the few freshman halls with air-conditioning, so you can enjoy the coolness on humid Williamsburg days. Other luxuries in DuPont include:

• two lounges (each with a balcony and kitchenette) on each floor
• a large full-size kitchen in the basement
• vending machines in the basement
• two laundry rooms located on the second floor
• a sand volleyball court behind the dorm

Finally, DuPont's "Pit" in the center of the first floor is where you will find a large hearth surrounded by couches, which will be lit during the winter producing a cozy 70s style manion-esque ambiance. With all these amenities right in your building, you might not want to leave! However, DuPont residents enjoy living in a prime location on campus - you are a brief stroll to the largest dining hall on campus (the "Caf"), tennis courts and the Rec Center. Also, make sure to cheer on Tribe athletes in Kaplan Arena inside William & Mary Hall next to the Caf.  For serious studying, Swem Library is also a short walk away, or you can enjoy the beauties of nature at Lake Matoaka.

In addition to your hallmates, you will have an upper-class resident assistant (RA) living on your hall as well.  Your RA will be there to help you with any questions, concerns, or issues you might have during your freshman year, as well as be a resource and encourage community on your hall. The eight RAs in DuPont are majoring in diverse fields such as International Relations, Marketing, Chemistry, Government, Psychology, German, Education, Business, Middle Eastern Studies and East Asian Studies. They are always available to offer advice on your academic curriculum or answer questions about things like GERs and getting involved on campus. Some of their interests and activities are karate, cycling, crew, basketball, tutoring, theatre, choir, acapella, Frisbee, traveling, skiing, crafting and tennis. They are the most fun group W&M has to offer, and they all look forward to getting to know you this year. In addition to the RAs, DuPont also has a Hall Director who oversees the RAs. This year's Hall Director is currently studying in the Higher Education Administration master’s program at the School of Education andis the Graduate Assistant in the Sadler Center. She is the grand champion of underwater basketweaving. Also during her four years as a collegiate soccer player, she broke many a player's nose.

Through self-determination, we will make DuPont a "home" we all live in! Please check out the self-determination video to learn more about what that means, and get ready to get involved with hall council!

As you're packing up your room and shopping for dorm supplies this summer, make sure to “Like” DuPont Hall 2012-2013 on Facebook in order to meet the RAs as well as other residents. Everyone on the DuPont Residence Life staff is looking forward to meeting you in the fall and welcoming you into the William & Mary community!

Sincerely,

The DuPont Residence Life Staff   

A Message from the Botetourt Staff

Dear Future Botetourtians,

Welcome to the College! We are so excited to have you as our residents next year! Your future RAs and HRs hail from as far away as California, though many of us are in-staters, and we are thrilled to make this place as much a home for you as it has become for us. Many of us have ourselves lived in Botetourt, so we would love to take the opportunity to share some of our favorite things about the area as well as some tips on how to make the most of your freshman experience here.

First of all, Botetourt (pronounced Bah-tuh-tŏt (like tater-tot) just in case you were having a little trouble with that) has a great location! It’s tucked away in the woods, right next to Lake Matoaka, so the dock and gorgeous trails around the lake are just a quick walk away. Botetourt is also a stone's throw away from the Caf, the College’s largest and most popular dining location; the Rec Center, the newly-renovated fitness center; and close to Swem, one of America’s top ten university libraries by the Princeton Review.

Secondly, the buildings in Botetourt have great amenities. The halls have fewer people than the average freshman hall, helping to foster a sense of camaraderie and community. In addition, the kitchens in Botetourt are enormous, and each has a built-in dining booth that’s perfect for sharing a meal with your newfound friends. Botetourt’s dorms are also all equipped with air-conditioned lounges that have comfy chairs and couches, televisions with cable connections, desks for studying, and recreational activity tables ranging from pool tables to air hockey tables. Outside the Botetourt area, there are large courtyards with picnic tables, ideal for enjoying the beautiful Williamsburg weather while doing homework or just hanging out.

As far as packing goes, don’t forget a shower caddy and shower shoes, because Botetourt has shared hall bathrooms. You may also want to bring a water pitcher or reusable water bottle since there are no sinks in the rooms. We also highly recommend waterproof boots (when it rains here, it pours), and a personal microwave and refrigerator so you don’t have to hike downstairs to the kitchen every time you want a snack. Basic cleaning supplies (like paper towels, Clorox wipes, and Febreze) will come in handy, too.

Through self–determination we will make Botetourt a “home” we all live in! Please check out the video to learn more about what that means, and get ready to get involved with hall council!

Now that you’ve learned about all of the amazing things that Botetourt has to offer, we would just like to give you a few parting words of advice. First, we recommend getting in touch with your roommate(s) over the summer to learn their likes and dislikes and to work out who is bringing which essentials. Second, be on the lookout for Facebook pages for Botetourt, your building, or even just your hall. Third, if you have anything to ask, feel free to contact us using the email addresses below; depending upon what each of us is doing for the summer, we may not be available immediately, but we’re happy to answer questions if we can help. Lastly, show up as yourself, and keep an open mind… this will be one of the best years of your life.

 We are so excited to meet you.  Have a great summer, and we’ll see you in August!

Best wishes,

Your future RAs and HRs