News on RSA TV

We have two new ideas for RSATV this spring.

First, we would like to hold a contest for student bands on campus. We would like bands to submit songs to us. The Housing Services Committee will pick one song each month to be the featured song that will play during the Movie Listing Slideshow. This will give us some great music to make the channel more exciting while giving exposure to more student bands on campus.

Second, we are interested in featuring more student content on RSA TV. One idea is to feature student films and documentaries on the channel. I am working on getting in touch with someone who runs the Northeastern Film Festival so the winners will be featured on the channel.

Please, comment and let me know what you think of these new ideas. In addition if you are a band that would like to feature music or a student with a film, please contact me at ouellette.c@neu.edu.

OSCCR Survey

Please help out the Student OSCCR Assessment Committee by taking a short survey about the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. The survey can be found here.

RSA Television Planned Outage

On Thursday, January 29th, 2009, RSA Television will be unavailable from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The outage is to allow us to upgrade the hardware and software behind the channel so we can provide a better experience to students.

Virus Alert!

If you run Windows Vista or Windows XP, you could be at risk for a rapidly spreading virus known commonly as Conflicker or Downadup. The virus uses a vulnerability that existed in Windows XP and Vista, as well as other versions of Windows to infect machines via the network. That vulnerability has since been patched, so you can partially protect yourself by running Windows Update. However, one risk you still could have is infection via removable media such as a USB drive. To curb this issue, you can take the extreme step of turning off auto-run, or ensure that you have your anti-virus software up-to-date. If you don't have anti-virus software or don't want to renew a subscription, go on myNEU where you can download Symantec for free if you are a full-time student. You can read more about the virus here. If your computer is already infected, it is possible to remove the virus and the people at ResNet in Speare Commons can assist you with that process.

Laundry Bucks & Leased Housing

A few students living in Leased Properties have asked about how their Laundry Bucks work. For students in Leased Properties, because Northeastern does not control your laundry facilities, the semester allocation is simply added to your Husky Dollars on your HuskyCard.

If you live in a Northeastern-owned residence hall, Laundry Bucks are a separate allocation but they rollover from semester-to-semester until the end of the fiscal year (after Summer I 2009).

Too Cold?

Are you too cold in your residence hall? Is your room always 68 degrees when you set it to 72? If this is the case, you might have a HVAC problem. The Facilities Division can help with this. Simply enter a work request at http://workreq.neu.edu or call Facilities Customer Service at (617) 373-2754.

Housing Survey

The Resident Student Association is soon going to be surveying to find out what residents want from us and Northeastern. If you have ideas for the survey or questions you want us to ask, let us know!

Housing Application Deadline Extended

Stephanie Cave, Associate Director of Housing Services, confirmed to the Resident Student Association General Council this evening that the deadline for Housing Applications has been extended by one day. If you didn't yet apply, you have until 4:30 PM to do so.

Housing Applications Due TOMORROW

Housing Applications for 2009-2010 are due TOMORROW! Remember to fill out your application on myNEU and if you are a first or second-year student, submit your deposits through NUPay.

Help Inform Students About Upcoming NU Athletics Events

Our friends over in the Student Government Association have come up with a great idea to help inform the student body about upcoming NU Athletics events. Known as the Spirit Crew, it will be a group of students that will go around campus promoting the Huskies the night before big athletic events. Students who are interested in helping out can learn more by attending one of this week's meetings on the topic:

• Tuesday, 1/13/2009 @ 6:00 PM in 433 Curry Student Center
• Thursday, 1/15/2009 @ 7:00 PM in 433 Curry Student Center

We in the Housing Services Committee always encourage students to attend NU Athletics games. This week there is men's and women's ice hockey at home as well as women's basketball. For the full schedule of athletics events, check out GoNU.com.

Pest Control

We wanted to give praise to The Huntington News for today's story about pest control on and off-campus. As the article mentions, if you have a pest problem in the residence halls you don't need to worry about buying mouse traps -- just call Facilities at 617.373.2754 or enter a work order online.

New RSA Website

A new RSA website is up. The new site contains a link over to this blog, and more. It is still being added to, so send RSA@Northeastern.edu any suggestions.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Welcome to 2009!

With 2009 here, the Housing Services Committee will be working even harder than we did in 2008 for the residents. Look for new initiatives, faster responses to the residents, and more blog posts. If you have ideas, 2009 is the time for then. Simply e-mail RSA (at) Northeastern (dot) edu.

RSA Cinema Downtime and Transition

As was announced several weeks ago, RSA Cinema on Channel 117 is transitioning to the name RSA Television this month to allow the name to reflect the channel's diversity in terms of its offerings. No longer simply a movie channel, RSA Television provides student-created content, information about upcoming events and activities on campus, and student group advertising. At the same time, the channel maintains the classic and new release feature films it has always had.

As a part of the transition, the channel is up and running now after a brief 36 hour downtime. On Thursday, January 15th, RSA Television will officially be here. There will be a launch party (details soon) and give aways to promote the channel. We'll be bringing back the popular popcorn giveaway and also giving away pens and other items. Plus, RSA Television will be offering students in the residence halls the opportunity to create their own television shows for the channel. For more information, e-mail us at RSA (at) Northeastern (dot) edu.

"I Am Here"

Every single semester we hear stories of students who find their classes dropped because they forgot to do "I Am Here." Sometimes we even hear of students who get withdrawn from the University or find their Housing about to be revoked because of a failure to do "I Am Here." Therefore, we thought it would be a good idea to put a reminder on the blog that "I Am Here" starts on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 8:00 AM and must be completed by Monday, January 5, 2009 at 4:00 PM. "I Am Here" takes place on the myNEU Portal.

Blanket Music Licensing for College Campuses

Having seen music programs like Ruckus rejected by college campuses, lawsuits thrown out of court by numerous judges, and institutions rejecting the tactic of settlement letters or even storing IP address records, Warner Music Group is now looking into a concept known as "voluntary blanket licensing," where college and universities would collect money from students and then pass it onto the recording industry. Warner Music claims that, "this is exactly the type of solution that several universities and their associations have been asking for," but skeptics compare "voluntary blanket licensing" to a taxation on students, whether they download music or not.

Finals & Bad Weather, Part II

To followup on yesterday's blog post, if you need to stay in the residence halls an extra day due to the bad weather, you can contact your Resident Director (RD) to make arrangements. Additionally, Stetson Hall East dining hall will be open until 7:00 PM tonight as will the Curry Student Center Food Court per the NU Alert that went out this morning.

Finals & Bad Weather

What happens if Final Exams get cancelled tomorrow due to bad weather? With a major snowstorm coming into town and the worst weather expected from 1 PM onward, there is a chance that afternoon exams might be cancelled. The NUAlert system will help notify students, faculty, and staff of a closing as will the Northeastern website and local media. Should exams be cancelled, they would be held on Monday.

But what happens to students who have to leave their residence hall because it's closing? Or students who had planned to leave town and can't because the inclement weather causes massive cancellations and delays at the airports, delays and cancellations with Amtrak, and delays and cancelations at the bus terminal? That's up in the air, but RSA is working to find answers.

No Rush with Laundry Bucks...

There's no need to rush to use up all your Laundry Bucks! Over the weekend, the Housing Services Committee heard that students were trying to get rid of their Laundry Bucks before the end of finals when they would expire -- however, this is not necessary! Laundry Bucks will rollover semester-to-semester, expiring at the end of the Northeastern University fiscal year (end of Summer I.) If you still have Laundry Bucks left, you'll find them there in the Spring with an additional $45 added on.

A To Do List for The Winter Break

The Housing Services Committee wants to give you a quick "To Do" list before you head off for vacation, the Holidays, or just a break:

• Secure Valuables: Thieves love the Holiday season because people are away and it ends up being easier for them to commit theft. Take valuables with you, lock them up, or otherwise secure them.
• Close & Lock Windows: Not only does securing your windows help deter theft, but it also ensures that if we have a cold snap you won't end up with a frozen pipe bursting and soaking your room.
• Turn Down The Thermostat: Set your thermostat as low as it can go. No one will be around, so no one will be there to feel cold. You'll also save Northeastern money, which means there won't be as big a need to raise housing or tuition next year.
• Throw out the Trash: Throw your trash out before you go to help avoid pests and foul odors.
• Clean out the Fridge: Get rid of anything that will expire over break. Also, if you clear out your entire fridge you may be able to unplug it saving more energy.
• Turn Off / Unplug Electronics: Since you won't be around to use it, there's no need to leave it on or running. You'll save energy, save money, and help your fellow students avoid higher costs.