By Sally Ann Moyer
Reporter
Current residential college students will lead tours during Saturday’s Winter Premiere to help assist prospective students decide where to live.
Keller sophomore Osalunosse Ovienmhada, co-chair of Brooks Residential College’s community and traditions committee, has been giving tours of Brooks Residential College since before her involvement with the committee.
“I was doing tours just because I was really happy about living here, and it’s definitely one thing that’s been really rewarding to me,” Ovienmhada said.
Ovienmhada has had friends tell her that her passion convinced other people to live at Brooks.
Previously, committee co-chairs and Community Leaders led all tours at Brooks Residential College.
“This semester, we’re trying something new and just having the actual residents volunteer to be a part of a new sort of group to be in charge of tours in the future,” Ovienmhada said.
Hopkinsville, Ky., sophomore Sherry Cheatham, chair of the Honors Residential College’s recruitment committee, leads tours and trains others to lead.
“It’s a really good experience to help people,” Cheatham said, “You’re doing something that’s helping people before they come to Baylor; you’re a mentor to prospective students.”
Some of the current members of the Honors Residential College’s committee were inspired to join after their own positive tour experiences as prospective students.
La Porte freshman Josh Dossey is one such member.
“It was really cool when I came, so when I had the chance to do it here, I joined the recruitment committee,” Dossey said.
Interacting with parents is Dossey’s favorite part of giving tours.
“I like parents asking the personal questions they feel like they can’t ask anywhere else,” he said. “Parents will ask you the type they feel like they can’t find out from faculty or their student’s adviser.”
Cheatham enjoys answering questions during tours.
“They normally ask about bathrooms and microwaves and refrigerators, but we have had questions about shoes — that’s a big one from girls,” Cheatham said.
Prospective students are curious about how many pairs to bring to college and how much storage space will be available to them, she said.
The tours aren’t always so easy. Sometimes leading tours takes patience, Ovienmhada said.
“You just have to know how to handle yourselves sometimes with the parents, even though you’ve probably answered [the same question] like 15 times,” she said.
Dossey always provides parents with his e-mail address in case they have any further questions.
“Parents are definitely intense,” he said, “Parents do their research a lot.”
Winter Premiere will run from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Saturday. Campus tours will occur from 11 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
