Is it worth the cost to live at Reinhard?

Last week I received a comment from someone who was considering living at Reinhard next year. They mentioned that it was hard to keep up with the changing prices of the apartments. So today, I am here to give you some details into the pricings of the apartments and tell you my feelings on living here.

First, the application fee. When you initially decide to live at Reinhard you must apply. When you send in the application you will need to enclose $225; $25 for the application fee and $200 for the service fee. There are opportunities for your fee to be waved or for discounts. If you are a returning resident of Reinhard your application and service fee are waved. If you apply before January 31^st, the service fee is waved; therefore you will only need to pay the $25 application fee. There are also opportunities to get discount coupons.

Second, the rent prices. You have a choice to sign a lease for the academic year or the extended academic year. If you sign a lease for the academic year, you will have your room from August – May, and will move out at the end of the spring semester. If you choose an extended academic year, you will have your room from August – July. I think the extended academic year lease is a big benefit. If you decide to take summer classes, you are able to stay for the summer, or you can leave your stuff in your room and not deal with the hassle of moving back in if you decide to return the following fall semester. There is a slight price increase if you do choose the extended academic year.

There are 4 different unit types to choose from. Starting with the least expensive is the 4 bedroom x 2 bath flat, followed by the 4 bedroom x 2 bath townhouse, 4 bedroom x 4 bath, and 2 bedroom x 2 bath. If you are a new resident and sign a lease for an academic year, prices start at $2,685 a semester ($537 a month). If you are a new resident signing an extended academic year lease, prices start at $2,830 a semester ($566 a month). To obtain all the updated leasing prices for the 2007-2008 year, you can go to Reinhard’s website: http://www.aoinc.com/proppages/index.cfm?fuseaction=floorplans

Finally, back to my title question. I would personally say that I feel it is worth the cost to live at Reinhard. Although Reinhard may be slightly more expensive than other off campus housing, it’s worth the money to come home to your own room and other amenities. The apartment and rooms are fully furnished, all utilities are paid for, the grounds are kept up on a regular basis (including snow removal in the winter), and a recreation area is also available for use.

If you would like to find out more about Reinhard, you are welcome to ask me, or I would recommend visiting their website. Also, if you haven’t taken a tour, I would recommend that you do that. Tours are given on a daily basis.

Spring has Sprung ... I think?

Ahhh … warm temperatures and the smell of spring is in the air! Wednesday kicked off the first day of spring and from then on, we’ve had the typical springtime weather. Warmer temperatures, the sun shinning, and the smell and sound of springtime in the air – spring is finally here!!

On Monday, we resumed classes from our week off. All in all, my winter break was pretty good. I was glad to be home. Also on Monday, they closed the parking lot beside Pierce Science Center and Davis Hall, and began breaking ground for the new and improved science center. Now, when you drive by the parking lot it looks very naked, because of all the trees cut down. It’s kind of sad, but we all know that something good will come out of it and more landscaping will be done once the project is completed.

Thursday was a pretty cool day. C.U. was hosting a high school Science Olympiad competition in the Gemmel Multi Purpose Room. My friend, Tiffany, and I were eating lunch downstairs in the food court and we saw a bunch of people from our alma matter, Cochranton High School. It was quite a surprise to see some old friends, but it was certainly nice to talk with them. Also on Thursday, the University Activities Board (UAB) had a table set up in Gemmel regarding the upcoming Hinder concert. Tiffany and I decided to check out the table and now we are highly considering buying tickets to attend the concert on Saturday, April 28th. Tickets are only $15 for students and $25 for the public. Not a bad deal.

Have a great weekend everyone!
~Jennifer

Mid-Terms are over and Winter Break has begun!

It’s hard to believe this semester is half way over. Once again, the last couple weeks have been busy for me with lots of studying and projects to complete.

Last Thursday night I arrived back home and was very happy to be back. I have been looking forward to a week off for quite awhile and now it’s finally here. Students who had the opportunity to take a vacation during their winter break are lucky. I’d love to be somewhere warm and sunny. =) My winter break is consisting of interviews, observations, papers, and studying. This past weekend I had some time to relax, but on Monday it was back to the grind.

In another 2 ½ weeks we will have our spring break, which is another break to look forward to. I don’t have too many things planned, but I’m sure I’ll have plenty to do. After spring break, we have 3 ½ weeks of classes, a week of finals and we’ll be done for summer vacation! YAY! That’s even more exciting to look forward to. Things are starting to wind down.

If anyone has any questions about Clarion or anything in general, please let me know and I will do my best to answer them!

Until next time,
Jennifer

"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!"

I am here to introduce everyone to the new Hershey’s Ice Cream Parlor! They celebrated their grand opening on Monday. This fabulous place is located on the first floor of the Gemmel Student Complex, across from the Ritazza. They will make and serve you sundaes, shakes, smoothies, floats, hard serve ice cream cones, cakes, and they also feature a creation station. I think the creation station is the best part! If you’re looking for a candy treat to mix in your ice cream, they’ll do that for you. There is an assortment of ice cream flavors to choose from and toppings as well.

On Monday, my roommate, Tiffany, and I decided to give this place a try. Mind you, I was highly anticipating the opening of this place since the beginning of the semester. So anyway, we each got a waffle cone (love them!) and a scoop of ice cream. I decided on chocolate since I am a major choc-o-holic! One scoop of ice cream was pretty big, but my-oh-my was it DELICIOUS!! (Can’t you tell I LOVE ice cream?) So, to anyone who may be passing by the ice cream parlor or would simply like to stop in for a delicious treat, I would highly recommend the Hershey’s Ice Cream Parlor.

Since I am on the topic of ice cream, I must give a shout-out to Cold Stone Creamery. If you haven’t heard of it before I HIGHLY recommend that you check it out. Cold Stone Creamery is one of my favorite ice cream parlors around! I was so excited when they moved into Erie, because most of the creameries are located near Pittsburgh. Cold Stone Creamery is made up of a long frozen granite slab where the ice cream creations are made. You can pick an ice cream flavor and they will mix it with an assortment of candies, nuts, and fruits. My favorite creation is birthday cake remix. They take birthday cake flavored ice cream, brownies, fudge, and sprinkles, mix it together, and serve it just right. It’s DELICIOUS, as well!

Now that I have been thinking about this, I have a huge craving for birthday cake remix! Too bad there wasn’t a Cold Stone in Clarion, but wait, we have the Hershey’s Ice Cream Parlor instead! And oh, I almost forgot, the Hershey's Ice Cream Parlor is open Monday-Friday 11 A.M.-9 P.M. The weekend hours are unknown at this time. On a final note, enjoy … ice cream! =D